Exhibition Magic City: Street Art Binge


Can you imagine a city where you can see the work from 66 street artists from 20 different countries? It sounds too good to be true but I just visited that place. The American author and art critic Carlo McCormick curated the exhibition Magic City, which has a market square, a town hall, a cinema, a playground, a café and even a red light district. Magic City is an exhibition that brings urban art inside to explain the street art movement right from its start. So far this is a unique concept. 

Wenu Magic City The Touristin Visit Magic City Street Art Binge

Until only a few decades ago street art was illegal, artists worked uncommissioned and had to work in hiding and if bad luck stroke they got fined or probably even landed in jail. In recent years urban art became more and more accepted and grew to be a trend in the art world. Many artists get commissioned to create colourful street corners and to make streets more liveable. It is art that takes place on the street, and art that is free for everybody. In the exhibition, you will find many different styles of urban art. Read all about these styles in Travel and Feel the Vibe. Street Art explains places.

Art Work by Street Artist Ernest Zacharevic

Art Work by Street Artist Benuz

Art work by Street Artist Bond Truluv

Art Work by Street Artist Bordalo II

Street Art - Echoing the Present

On your visit you will get fitted out with an iPod as a digital guide on your walk through town. It is how you get information about the artists and the visions they had for each piece of art. On your stroll through town you get to see the work of all these different contemporary street artists and you will fast understand why urban art is an art form. People tend to love artists who have long been dead and are analysed to death by art critics. With street art, everybody of us has the chance to decide on the spot how we feel about the particular piece of art we see. In most cases, it is pretty unlikely that somebody has already written an essay or encyclopaedia about it. Urban Artists don't shy away from going onto the streets and leaving their message. They listen and look at the present and respond to it. Fascinating to see that they do so almost instantly. Street Artists are brave; they take risks to draw attention and in the end to make the world better.

“Cities have been designed to facilitate work, but artists have transformed them into playgrounds for the imagination and ideas. This is the invitation called outside our window by friends and strangers with restless spirits: come out and play,” says curator Carlo McCormick about Magic City.

Art Work by Street Artist Ganzeer

Art Work by Street Artist Biancoshock

Art Work by Street Artists Faith47 and Imraan Christian

Art Work by Street Artists Herakut

Art Work by Street Artists ICY & SOT

Magic City - The Euphoria of Street Art

At first, you will travel back to 1971 and watch a short film about TAKI183 a writer from NYC who started at the age of 16. He started writing his name on everything, which means for example that he put his name on the subway trains of NYC. Thousands of people saw this every day. He soon ended up in the New York Times and ever since has the status of a legend. Just follow the high street that leads straight through Magic City, there are also several single-themed squares along the way. The town is full to the brim with urban art. You will have the chance to take photos and even experience artworks up-close if you dare to walk straight into them.

As we all know a city trip can be exhausting, there is a café that sells drinks and cakes. Grab some delicacies and carry them over to the cinema with deck chairs. You can watch different street art-themed films every day; just ask what is on when you arrive.

In a time in which populists worldwide speak of exclusion, and support the hate of everybody who is different, the exhibition shows gorgeously the benefits of a global community. The exhibition is a team effort. In tune with that Magic City will present different local artists and themes on its journey. From Munich, the exhibition will travel on to Stockholm in Sweden to Paris in France and to Philadelphia in the US.

Art Work by Street Artist Fino '91

Art Work by Street Artists The London Police

Art Work by Street Artists Wenu

Magic City and its Street Artists from Europe - Artists Links

Anders Gjennestad from Norway.
Asbestos from Ireland.
Blek le Rat from France.
Oakoak from France.
Olek from Poland.
ERICAILCANE from Italy.
Truly from Italy.
Andy K from Germany.
Bond Truluv from Germany.
Fino'91 from Germany.
Gregor Wosik from Germany.
Herakut from Germany.
Jens Besser from Germany
Won ABC from Germany
Loomit from Germany.
MadC from Germany.
Ben Heine from Belgium.
Biancoshock from Belgium.
ROA from Belgium.
Leon Keer from The Netherlands.
Niels Shoe Meulman from The Netherlands.
TLP (The London Police) from The Netherlands.
Isaac Cordal from Spain.
SpY from Spain.
Bordalo II from Portugal.
Odeith from Portugal.
Ernest Zacharevic from Lithuania.
Slinkachu from the Great Britain.
Replete from Great Britain.
Banksy from we don't know for sure where.
INSA from the Great Britain

Magic City and its Street Artists from Africa - Artists Links

Faith47 and Imraan Christian from South Africa.
Ganzeer from Egypt.

Magic City and its Street Artists from the Asian Continent - Artists Links

ICY and Sot from Iran.
Lady Aiko from Japan.
Qi Xinghua from China.
Wenu, from Hong Kong and Berlin.
Motomichi Nakamura from Japan.

Magic City and its Street Artists from the Americas - Artists Links

Benuz from Mexico.
Juandres Vera from Mexico.
Yok and Sheryo from Singapore and the US.
Tristan Eaton from the US.
Ron English from the US.
Shepard Fairey from the US.
Skewville from the US.
Brad Downey from the US.
Christy Rupp from the US.
Dan Witz from the US.
Daze from the US.
Henry Chalfant from the US.
Marc Bode from the US.
Ori Carino and Benjamin Armas from the US.
Jaime Rojo from the US.
Jordan Seiler from the US.

Art Work by Street Artist Juandres Vera

Art Work by Street Artist Leon Keer (plus two unknown friendly models)

Art work by Street Artists Truly

Art Work by Street Artists Yok and Sheryo
Art Work by Street Artist Qi Xinghua

Go, visit this exhibition, be open-minded and take home what you consider as interesting. Make sure you look at street corners, lamp posts or at facades in the future. You will be surprised at how many of the artists you start identifying. You will have a better understanding of what street art is and probably even be inspired to start writing, painting, knitting or spraying.

Art Work by Street Artist Olek

Art Work by Street Artist Olek

Info Magic City

The exhibition was in Kleine Olympiahalle, Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21. 80809 Munich. Plan four to five hours for your visit to Magic City. The exhibition Magic City moved to Stockholm.

From Berlin with love