Street art festival ARTSCAPE 2016 to Gothenburg

This summer the street art festival ARTSCAPE 2016 lands in Gothenburg. About 20 international and Swedish artists will create and present large-scale art work in all ten districts of the city – which makes ARTSCAPE 2016, Scandinavia’s largest ever street art festival.

The City of Gothenburg has partnered with Artscape as part of the city’s build up to their 400^th anniversary in 2021.Between July 25^th and August 21^th, Gothenburg and Artscape will together create Scandinavia biggest street art festival ever – ARTSCAPE 2016 Gothenburg. During the festival both international and local artists will create large-scale artwork in all ten districts of the city.They will also arrange panel discussions, lectures and workshops where everyone is welcome to participate.

“Never before has a city chosen to include every district, the entire city in a project like this and that is quite amazing” said Daniel Wakeham, founder and project manager at Artscape.

Artscape is an organisation that seeks to inspire people and promote public art for everyone. Artscape 2014 in Malmö was Sweden’s first ever international street art festival and the positive response to it has paved the way for more participants within this art form. Artscape is now raising the bar even further. Together with the City of Gothenburg’s department of Culture the festival is in full preparation – this is the first time a city of the size of Gothenburg contributed with all districts in a similar project.

“We have worked on this project for about two years now and it’s going to be amazing to see it all fall into place. Gothenburg is an exciting city with so much potential. This feels like the

perfect way to take Artscape to the next level”, said Daniel Wakeham and Tor Hedendahl, founders and project managers at Artscape.

Both digital and printed maps will be developed so that locals and tourists can easily visit all the works of art across the city by tram or bicycle. The digital map will be ready July 25^th and the printed version August 14^th 2016.

“It will be a great way to discover Gothenburg off the beaten track and also a new reason to visit for everyone who loves street art and graffiti” said Sofie Mantzaris, PR Officer at Göteborg & Co (Gothenburg Tourist Board).

5 of the artists coming to ARTSCAPE 2016 Gothenburg

Eine (born 1970) is a world-famous street artist from the UK. He rose to international renown after British Prime Minister David Cameron – on his first official state visit to the United States in 2010 – gave one of Eine’s works as a gift to President Barack Obama. Eine is just as famous for his series “Alphabet Street” where he spray painted large-scale murals of all the letters in the alphabet, in his trademark colours and typography in London. His work is found in permanent exhibitions at several museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. www.instagram.com/einesigns

Ollio (born 1978) is a graffiti artist based in Gothenburg. He started painting with spray cans in the 90s and became well known in the early 2000s. Today he is a well-established and award winning artist and his paintings are characterised by playful colours and shapes. He often uses strong patterns and colours where improvisation and play is at the centre. He was one of the first established graffiti artists in Sweden who revealed his identity and in 2013 received the City of Gothenburg’s cultural scholarship.www.ollio.tumblr.com/

Hueman (born 1985) is an American street artist based in Los Angeles. She grew up in North California and graduated from Design & Media Arts at UCLA in 2008. Hueman creates dreamy, large-scale works on canvas and high walls. Her paintings consist of colourful, abstract forms and portraits based on free association and improvisation. Today Hueman creates work in collaboration with several international companies and organisations – including fashion companies such as Nike and North Face. www.huemannature.com/

Yash (born 1989) is a Swedish artist living in Stockholm. In recent years Yash has gained attention for his large-scale portraits of humans and animals – European robins, roe deer’s, foxes and cows are some animals that you can see in his paintings. His work is light and colorful but at the same time it brings a melancholic feeling to it.www.facebook.com/yashone.se

Magda Sayeg (born 1977) is a textile artist living in Austin, Texas. She is the founder and spokesperson for the street artist group ‘Knitta Please’, who use yarn instead of spray cans and brushes. Sayeg and Knitta Please wraps up public objects – lampposts, road signs, parking meters – in colourful knitting and crochets. The art form is called yarn bombing or knit graffiti. www.magdasayeg.com/

For more information please contact:

Daniel Wakeham, founder and project manager at ArtscapeE-mail:daniel@artscape.se Phone: +46 736-839922

Sofie Mantzaris, Press Officer at Göteborg & Co (Gothenburg tourist board) E-mail: sofie.mantzaris@goteborg.com Phone: +46 31 368 40 00
Twitter: @sofiemantzaris

For more information visit:

www.artscape.se/

www.goteborg.com/en/artscape/

www.instagram.com/artscape_festival/