Ostap sticks to the brown piece
Gomez of Selfmade Crew at air picks squeezing
“Huzur” Meeting point for seniors: Probably the coolest art project of the year
The Bülowstraße in Berlin does not have the best reputation: prostitutes are standing on the side of the road, junkies are lurking in dark alleys and shady characters dominate the street scene. But the Bülowstraße can also be different! By now it is not only home to the largest street art museum in Germany, it also has a very special art project: the senior citizens’ get-together “Huzur”. Me and my SELFMADECREW were also involved in the project and present it to you today. Enjoy!
Street Art Against Drugs and Prostitution
The senior citizens’ club Huzur is located right next to streetwalkers and prostitutes. The dark foyer? A popular contact point for sex-workers, clients and junkies. The inhabitants thus hardly dared to leave their own front door in the evening. The solution? Street art!
A New Foyer, Please!
I, my SELFMADECREW and street artist Felix Rodewald were therefore asked to redesign the foyer with street art. The goal: to provide the dull Bülowstraße a real eye-catcher – and to create a place of art, creativity, and joy. The entire project was initiated by the Urban Nation– Museum for Urban Contemporary Art Berlin.
Oversized Portraits Made of Brown Packing Tape
So how to make “Huzur” more attractive and friendly? I had two ideas. Firstly, to design the walls and windows of the foyer with portraits made of brown parcel tape and use the light that comes in from outside. To do this we picked out 9 residents, photographed them – and we were ready to roll. Everything we needed? Brown packing tape. Lots of them!
“SelfmadeCrew” artist Dennis Gomez works on the artwork
My second idea: Glowing street art and five sprayed portraits with phosphorous paint on the outside of the seniors’ get-together. These are invisible during the day and only light up at nightfall – in a bright green neon color.
By the way: Every inhabitant of “Huzur” could join, help us with the art and get a taste of our work process! In addition, Felix Rodewaldt gave some nice photos to everyone.
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- This is how the finished tape street art installation looks at the daylight
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- Packing tape portrait at the daylight inside the foyer
Brown tape portraits in the Bulowstrasse – side view
The Result: A Unique Piece of Street Art
In the end, the dark and obsolete entrance area became a real gem. As soon as the light comes in from outside, the portraits on the windows illuminate in a warm light brown colour. The foyer is now a colorful, bright room and another great piece of art for this city. And the most important thing: We not only created a cool art project but an environment in which the residents of Bülowstraße 94 finally feel at home again.
Phosphoric sprayed portrait at the entrance
We would like to thank all residents of Bülowstraße 94, the fellow artist Felix Rodewaldt and Urban Nation Museum for their cooperation. It was an honor!
Me and the finished four portraits of senior meeting “Huzur” residents
Klaus Peter- the inhabitant of “Huzur” housing community and his portrait
Two short documentaries about the project:
