Sydney is a big city. You can feel it when you arrive, and especially when you explore the central city. The buildings are impressive, the sprawl is wide and the energy is palpable. Sydney might not be held in the same regard as Melbourne in terms of street art reputation, but it undeniably still has a significant part in the history of Australian urban art culture. Earlier this year, we took a relaxing weekend in Sydney, exploring various parts of the city on foot and via train – taking in graffiti, murals, interventions and more. Below is a selection of some of our favourite finds, including some Fintan Magee, a brand new DANK (painted the first day we arrived at Pro Art Supplies), Thierry Noir and Jeremy Novy and a heap of local talent…
Unknown artist, central SydneyApparition Media’s portrait of Adam Goodes in Surry HillsLister in Surry HillsUnknown artist, Surry HillsUnknown artist, central SydneyNOT NOT, Bondi JunctionUnknown artist, central SydneyFintan Magee, NewtownGraffiti along the train lineJeremy Novy, central SydneyGraffiti door, central SydneyLIKERS (with a very Australian addendum), Surry HillsSurry HillsAMUSE, Surry HillsThierry Noir, Surry HillsBourke Street, Surry HillsFintan MageeDANK, Surry Hills
You might have noticed we have had a little break from the And That Was… series – don’t worry, it wasn’t for any other reason than the need for a well-earned rest after a busy 2023! We have been working into 2024 and some things just had to have a bit of a back seat (we are a small team after all!). We are stoked to welcome And That Was… back for 2024 – after all, it is our favourite way to celebrate all things street related – from street art big and small, graffiti, events, experiences and everything in between. So, let’s kick off the first And That Was… for 2024 with the following selections!
The Spiderverse appears in New Brighton
Let’s begin with a FSPPT, a THWAP, a KAPOW and THWIP! The revolving rear wall of the old Couplands Building in New Brighton got a Summer make-over with this spectacular production by DTR crew members Ikarus, Dcypher and the crew’s newest member Drows. With traditional pieces in gold, purples and pinks by Ikarus (L) and Drows (R), the wall was built around the Spiderman Spiderverse imagery by Dcypher – unified by a smoky, atmospheric backdrop, blocks of comic book panel details and shattered stone. This is most definitely NOT the Madame Web of graffiti productions.
Farewell to a few old friends…
While we normally celebrate the new and fresh, it is also worth acknowledging those things we have seen disappear – sometimes painfully in full view. February saw the demolition of a number of familiar murals across central Otautahi – FinDAC’sKaitiaki and TELMO MIEL’sHector’s Dive, both on the exterior of the Hereford Street YMCA building, and Jacob Yikes’ Blue painting on the carpark at the rear of the old Rydges Hotel building overlooking Cathedral Square. Of course, losing such works is inevitable, but still sad – the important thing is to ensure we see new works appear in their place…
A tribute to Mahsa Amini
Completed in February, Kophie Su’a-Hulsbosch’s mural depicting Iranian woman Mahsa Amini has added a powerful message to the hoarding wall outside the Arts Centre on Worcester Boulevard. With the portrait centred in front of poppy flowers (symbolic of matyrdom and Iran) and the words Woman, Life and Freedom either side, the work is pays tribute to Amini, who lost her life while detained by Iranian police for not wearing a hijab in public. The mural was produced with Dr Hero Modares of the Kia Ora Academy and members of the local Iranian community, with support from the Christchurch City Council and ChristchurchNZ.
BOXed Quarter action…
We were stoked to see a selection of talented artists add some new pieces to the panels of St Asaph Street’s BOXed Quarter in February. Nick Lowry, Dcypher, Masked Artist, Morks, Dove, Hambone and PK all created works on the 3m x 3m square surfaces, bringing a fresh vibe to an area filled with impressive works! To check out more of the creations, get down to the BOXed Quarter and wander through – just a warning though, you will probably want to grab a bite to eat from one (or more) of the awesome eateries inside… (Image: Hambone (bottom) and Morks (top) at the BOXed Quarter)
Jen_Heads’ Bisan Owda
The city has been awash with art and messages calling for ceasefire in Gaza – illustrating the important role of public space to share and confront social issues – in this case, ensuring the world does not forget about the harrowing and horrific situation in Palestine. One of the most striking pieces is Jen_Head’s portrait paste-up of Palestinian journalist and filmmaker Bisan Owda reporting from Gaza, accompanied by images of her social media posts from the ground, a reminder of the realities of the situation…
And that’s our list for February – what would you add? Let us know…
After several years of developing, planning and piecing together the logistics, Watch This Space was proud to finally bring the Little Street Art Festival to life in Otautahi Christchurch in late 2023!
The festival was conceived as a platform for alternative approaches to street art, especially smaller scale and materially diverse practices. As such, serves as a point of difference from established mural festivals and provides artists who either don’t fit the profile of large-scale muralism or want to push to new directions with their work. For the inaugural festival, we gathered nine local creatives, a mixture of established names and newer artists and helped them take their work to the streets – Jacob Yikes, Ghostcat, Ikarus, Jessie Rawcliffe, Bloom, Dark Ballad, teethlikescrewdrivers, Nathan Ingram and Kophie a.k.a Meep, all contributing whimsical, meaningful and striking pieces. The installations ranged from paintings to sculptural pieces, interactive and participatory approaches and ephemeral interventions. With over 50 individuals pieces scattered throughout the city, the festival encouraged exploration and new ways of looking. In addition to the featured artworks, the festival also presented a programme of free events, including walking tours, an artist panel discussion, treasure hunts, workshops and activations (including Tink’s installation at festival sponsor Westfield Riccarton). We were blown away with the response to the festival and we can’t wait to bring the Little Street Art Festival back soon! For more information, check out our website: https://www.littlestreetartfestival.co.nz/ – but for now – check out some of our favourite pictures captured by festival photographer Centuri Chan…
A massive thank you our sponsors: Westfield Riccarton, Antony & Mates, Phantom Billstickers, Christchurch City Council, Toi Otautahi, Creative Communities and all our Boosted donors!
