In late July, I began a gallery project and series of street murals in Copenhagen. On Aug. 1, POLITIKEN newspaper published an inaccurate story reporting that I was commissioned and paid by the city of Copenhagen to execute the mural they featured in their article. The mural location in question had a controversial history of clash between the city and the supporters and inhabitants of the Youth House formerly located there. In spite of efforts by myself, my gallery, and the Youth House, to correct the record, media outlets continued to perpetuate the misconception that I had been hired or at least prompted by the city to create my mural at the former Youth House location. An unfortunate chain reaction of events took place that I believe may have been, at least in part, catalyzed by media misinformation that continues to circulate. Below is my attempt to thoroughly illuminate my experience in Copenhagen.
Most of my Copenhagen experience was peace and love. Here I’ll cover the aspects that weren’t peace and love.
As a preface, I should mention that, being a street artist, I am very well aware of the contentious nature of the street art/graffiti world. I think street art is one of the most democratic, accessible, empowering, and inspiring art forms there is. To be a street artist, you don’t need permission, just courage and motivation. Street art also is an outlet for the most competitive, frustrated, anarchic, and sometimes, downright barbarically hostile people. These traits may be prominent in the street art/graff community, but certainly are not relegated to it.
I grew up in skateboarding and punk rock, which are both incredibly creative, but can also be macho and aggressive. I accept that there are all different kinds of people, good and bad, in the world, and that each of us has good and bad within us. That concept was the premise of my “Duality of Humanity” art show and series of works. I sympathize with the struggles of humanity. I consistently create art for, and financially support causes fighting injustice. I understand frustration with “the system” and the challenges of life in general, but I never see justification for fighting injustice by perpetuating more injustice. I also see the role of the media as a source of (accurate) information, and thoughtful analysis, deconstructing the variables behind complex situations, not as the CREATOR of contentious situations. I’ll address this further after some context.
After a great trip there in 2004, I went to Copenhagen with nothing but the highest regard for the city and its inhabitants (and that remains). I view myself as an American by birth, but as a world citizen by choice. Traveling the globe has given me greater perspective on how relatively fortunate we are in America, as imperfect as it is. Traveling has also given me perspective on how the U.S. is perceived globally (mostly as redneck imperialists). Just as I’m opposed to U.S. xenophobia and insensitivity to the rest of the world, I’m opposed to xenophobia toward Americans from the rest of the world. Saying all Americans are imperialists is like saying all Arabs are terrorists.
In Copenhagen, one of my seven murals was attacked a couple of times, and Romeo Trinidad and I were attacked by four young adults after the art opening after-party. I can’t say exactly what the motivations were for some of the people’s behavior in Copenhagen, but I have a few theories.
Before going to Copenhagen I spoke with my friends at the V1 gallery about doing some ambitious outdoor art in addition to the gallery show.
Incidentally, one of the spots where I put a large poster in 2004 was the 69 Youth House/Punk House (at the epicenter of the controversy on this trip) where it remained untouched until the weather got to it 6 months later. V1 diligently reached out to property owners and art advocates to find prime locations for murals in Copenhagen. Several great privately owned spaces were offered, and the city council even offered a city square wall usually adorned with advertising posters. They additionally offered to pay for the materials I used there. The gallery and I saw this as a coup of the highest order and a victory of art over advertising. We even discussed that it might lead to a more art friendly attitude by the city.
Anyway, another seemingly unrelated location I was offered was a wall directly next to where the former 69 Youth House (I was informed that the Youth House been since torn down). It was a great, almost 70-foot high wall, and with my connection to punk culture and my history with art at the location, it seemed like a great wall. I was asked to submit a design for approval by the building owner, so I decided to keep the image true to my beliefs, but uncontroversial (so I thought) and presented a Peace Dove in target concept.
It was approved by the owners and was the first project I started when I arrived in Copenhagen. As the crew and I worked, we were approached by friendly, curious people who gave nothing but positive feedback. I also began to hear a little more from locals about how distressing it was when the city evicted the Youth House dwellers, and sold it to a Christian sect that had it demolished. It now sat as an empty lot where there used to be a thriving hub of creative and communal, free-spirited culture. I thought to myself “what a shame, I hope I can do something that is a symbolically positive transformation.”
No Replies to "Shepard Fairey: Street Art and Politics in Copenhagen"