The world’s most iconic street artists present their provocative works together for the first time in Southeast Asia.

From its beginnings in prehistoric cave painting and inscriptions on the walls of Pompeii, to Chinese dazibao and beyond, graffiti – from the Italian verb ‘to scratch’ – has appeared and reappeared throughout history and across civilisations. A new era of graffiti emerged in the second half of the 20th century and took hold at the end of the 1970s spreading rapidly across the globe. Nurtured by the urban rhythms of cities as varied as New York, Paris, Rio and Sydney, the movement’s protagonists developed a dynamic visual culture that has been adapted and reinvented many times since.

Street Art, as it is known today, was born out of an ‘ultimate city’ moment – a point in recent history where artists felt the need to make works that were intended to be seen, or experienced in raw, gritty, urban environments. In doing so these artists developed their own techniques and effects to deliver high-impact messages that ranged from simple signatures to political statements.

Sometimes known as ‘Spray Art’, ‘Graffiti’ or ‘Stencil Art’, art born of the street is almost impossible to fix and categorise as it continues to grow and evolve.  Even the term ‘Street Art’ is problematic, as many works today are no longer created in, or for the streets.

Yesterday’s pioneers have become the accomplished artists of today and inspire new generations that in turn go on to push the limits of the movement even further, inventing and renewing again and again.  From its urban beginnings Street Art has become a globally recognised medium of artistic expression and is deeply rooted in today’s visual culture. It relates to our contemporary society, making it one of the most valuable artistic movements to emerge in the 20th century.

With new talents continuing to emerge in the movement, two developments occurred. The work of street artists became more and more diverse and, at the same time, their way of expressing themselves grew broader – often making monumental work on repurposed surfaces.

Immersing themselves in a place, all of these artists – by meticulously cutting, pasting, weaving and stenciling – produced imposing, unmissable facades. Drawing inspiration from many sources, but primarily from the city itself, this renewed approach was a response to those skeptical about the future of Street Art.

Increasingly combining Street Art aesthetics with other traditional practices these artists have managed to make their works both unique and revolutionary.

Curated for ArtScience Museum by Street Art expert and writer Magda Danysz, Art from the Streets explores the movement’s countercultural beginnings and its extraordinary evolution as a contemporary artform.  Spanning more than 40 years this exhibition brings together large-scale mural paintings, installations, videos, sketches and archival material from some of the most iconic names in the Street Art movement. To illustrate the vitality and diversity of the movement as it is now, new works by some of the leading names in contemporary Street Art have been commissioned. Created especially for the exhibition and painted directly onto the museum walls, these commissions profile the work of Spanish Street Art sensation Felipe Pantone amongst others and shines a spotlight on urban art in Southeast Asia with the work of Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho and Singaporean artists Speak Cryptic and Yok & Sheryo.
Pantone began graffiti at the age of 12 and went on to graduate with a Fine Art degree in Valencia, Spain. Pantone’s bright graphic style is at the forefront of street and urban contemporary art. Using strong colours, sharp edges and bold shapes, his work draws on the history of both Op Art and Kinetic Art. Pantone has developed his own personal avant-garde artistic style that has echoes of the garish 80s atmosphere – saturated colours, synth pop and SMPTE colour bars on the TV. (ArtScienceMuseum press-release)