Invader’s Mosaics: The Reactivation and Reinstallation
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Invader, with his iconic mosaic tiles, has revolutionized street art. With such worldwide recognition for Invader’s art, the much-loved pieces inevitably face destruction. However, despite such heinous acts, some give his art a new lease on life with reactivations and reinstallations. This blog examines the importance of reactivating Invader's works: speaking to the stories behind the tiles.
Why Are There Reinstallations?
Invader's mosaics have been damaged numerous times, whether it be destruction from attempted theft, government removal, or degradation, they have all affected the overall presence and appearance of the artist’s mosaics. Due to this, many believe the destroyed mosaics will never return to their glamorous past, but some try to revitalize these pieces.
According to Invader, he commonly uses store-bought tiles on the streets. Therefore, people may be able to buy ceramic tiles that Invader uses to repair the pieces that have been destroyed. Though this loses the piece's authenticity, Invader in fact acknowledges these amendments, just as he acknowledges copycats of his work.
Because of Invader’s acknowledgment, many anonymous fans have acted as vigilantes and helped maintain the overall quality of his works. As many of you know, Invader’s works are scattered around the world, and thus he can’t physically keep up with every single one of his pieces. The burden is then passed to those who care about them.
For example, PA_0061 in Paris seems unmodified and untouched at first glance. But upon closer inspection, the mosaic is actually placed a few inches taller than when it was first installed.
In case anyone wants to know more about the destruction and reactivation of Invader’s mosaics, we sincerely introduce Invasion Spotter, a fan-made platform announcing international news on the artist’s mosaics.
PA_0061
The Debate
The Reinstallation and Reactivation of Invader’s works are undoubtedly happening, right to this day. However, This has fueled numerous debates on whether it is correct to reactivate what has been destroyed. It’s not about permission or authenticity, but the fleeting nature of street art. It is pleasing to see fans work together to help reinstall pieces, but is it the correct decision?
The fact that street art itself lies in the grey area of legality makes it hard to judge whether this is an ethical or a selfish decision. Some may point out that they are not against the legal terms of a city, and therefore should be allowed. On the contrary, some believe that they are opposing the nature of street art. Though the art of reactivation has long been an art form, placing this craftsmanship standard on something temporary, is it necessary and appropriate to reinstall an already destroyed mosaic? I guess that is for you to decide.
DJBA_39
The Reactivation Teams
According to the Internet, there is an international Reactivation Team recognized by Invader. However, there is insufficient information on exactly how many projects they have worked on. Due to their advocacy of anonymity, no one knows how many people are involved and who is behind all of this, but gladly Invader had mentioned their name on his Instagram.
Graffoto, a blog website that focuses on street art, particularly in London, once conducted a private interview with the Invader UK Reactivation Team. They are a street art enthusiast team that focuses on Invader’s lost installations. In fact, they have a tacit agreement with Invader himself for reinstallation works. Not only does their mission involve the reactivation of the existing mosaics, but also the cleaning and preservation of the damaged mosaic works. This is in line with their goal to keep this very unique urban art form alive. They work to reconnect the public with these installations, reminding them of how important street art is within the cultural landscape. Every time you spot a sticker of theirs next to a piece, you will know that they are the ones behind the reactivation.
LDN_001
LDN_027
credit: @nolionsinengland
Others
At times, if Invader has a chance, he himself will reinstall mosaics on the edge of destruction. Although this is infrequent, he once relocated the mosaic SL_09 in Seoul to another location because he saw the convenience store staff taking it off the wall, and decided to place it elsewhere
SL_09
Also in Seoul, SL_06 and SL_12 are both reinstalled anonymously after their immediate destruction in the Invasion of Seoul.
SL_06
SL_12
Another example is PA_283. This mosaic was covered by different layers of paint with different murals above it. But a group of people were nice enough to remove the paint on top to reveal the Space Invader below. Once again, come to think about it, is it always the right move to forcefully show what’s supposed to be buried?
PA_283
In another occurrence in the Invasion of Basque, BAB_34 was once covered with black paint, but was later scraped off by someone.
BAB_34
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We do not own any copyrights to the photos used
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All Rights Reserved ~ We do not own any copyrights to the photos used ~
