Exhibiting artists include:
André Saraiva | Beastie Boys | C. R. Stecyk III | Charlie Ahearn | Chaz Bojórquez | Conor Harrington
CRASH | Dash Snow | DAZE | Eric HAZE | Fab 5 Freddy | FAILE | Felipe Pantone | FUTURA2000
GOLDIE | Gordon Matta-Clark | Guerrilla Girls | Henry Chalfant | Jamie Reid | Janette Beckman
Jenny Holzer | José Parlá | KAWS | Kenny Scharf | LADY PINK | Malcolm McLaren | Maripol
Martha Cooper | Maya Hayuk | Mister CARTOON | MODE 2 | Paul Insect | Robert 3D Del Naja
Shepard Fairey | Stephen ESPO Powers | SWOON | Todd James | VHILS | ZEPHYR | & MORE
Tickets available now, book here: saatchigallery.com/tickets
From defiant train writers to powerful large-scale muralists, Saatchi Gallery is thrilled to
announce over 100 international artists to be featured in BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON, opening this
February. The exhibition, supported by adidas Originals, will be the most comprehensive graffiti & street
art exhibition to open in the UK, and is set to take over all three floors of London’s iconic Saatchi Gallery.
Following successful exhibitions in Los Angeles & New York, BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON will
feature new works, large-scale installations, original ephemera and extraordinary fashion that capture the
powerful impact of graffiti & street art across the world.
Curated by graffiti historian Roger Gastman, BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON will examine the
fundamental human need for public self-expression, highlighting artists with roots in graffiti and street art whose work has evolved into highly disciplined studio practices, alongside important cultural figures
inspired by this art scene.
Each of the exhibition’s chapters will explore exceptional moments in the history of this artistic movement; Including the emergence of punk; the birth of hip-hop – marking its 50th anniversary in 2023; and street culture’s strong influence in fashion and film.
Confirmed exhibiting artists:
10Foot, AIKO, Alicia McCarthy, André Saraiva, BÄST, Beastie Boys, Beezer, Bert Krak, BLADE, BLONDIE,
Bob Gruen, Brassaï, Broken Fingaz, C. R. Stecyk III, CES, Charlie Ahearn, Chaz Bojórquez, Chris
FREEDOM Pape, Christopher Stead, Conor Harrington, CORNBREAD, Craig Costello, CRASH,
DABSMYLA, Dash Snow, DAZE, DELTA, DONDI, Duncan Weston, Dr. REVOLT, Eric HAZE, Escif, Estevan
Oriol, Fab 5 Freddy, FAILE, Felipe Pantone, FUME, FUTURA2000, Glen E. Friedman, GOLDIE, Gordon
Matta-Clark, Gregory Rick, Guerrilla Girls, Gus Coral, Henry Chalfant, HuskMitNavn, IMON BOY, Jaimie
D’Cruz, Jamie Reid, Janette Beckman, Jason REVOK, Jenny Holzer, Joe Conzo, John Ahearn & Rigoberto
Torres, José Parlá, KATSU, KAWS, KC ORTIZ, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, KING MOB, LADY PINK,
Lawrence Watson, Lisa Kahane, Malcolm McLaren, Maripol, Martin Jones, Martha Cooper, Maya Hayuk,
Michael Holman, Michael Lawrence, Mister CARTOON, MODE 2, Ozzie Juarez, Pablo Allison, Pat Phillips,
Paul Insect, POSE, PRIDE, PRIEST, Richard Colman, RISK, Robert 3D Del Naja, Roger Perry, Shepard
Fairey, SHOE, Sophie Bramly, STASH, Stephen ESPO Powers, Stickymonger, SWOON, TAKI 183, Toby
Mott, TOX, Tim Conlon, Timothy Curtis, Tish Murtha, Todd James, VHILS , ZEPHYR and more to be
announced.
About the Exhibition:
Upon entering Saatchi Gallery, visitors will explore the graffiti-filled installation The Vandal’s Bedroom by
American artist Todd James, whose works have been exhibited twice at the Venice Biennale.
In the first chapter ‘Music & Art Converge’, visitors will explore the socio-political turmoil of the late 70s and 80s, where the decline of cities met artistic resistance, a shift which was felt in both the US and UK. Youthculture responded by painting graffiti on walls and public transport, creating art that reflected and
reimagined the times in an explosion of expression on the streets. It was about identity in the face of
oppression, self-awareness, and self-discovery in a moment of a depleted economic outlook.
Through music and art, London meets New York, featuring works including FUTURA2000’s legendary 30 ft. painting, made on stage with The Clash, displayed along with the unparalleled contributions from Malcom McLaren, MODE2 and American photojournalist Martha Cooper. Visitors will also be encouraged to browse and enjoy music at Trash Records, an interactive installation within a fully recreated record shop.
No area of Saatchi Gallery will be left untouched; visitors will be immersed by works and ephemera on viewacross hallways, tunnels and staircases and will enter rooms exploring the birth of graffiti like never seen before. These spaces will showcase a wall of Jenny Holzer’s truisms; Henry Chalfant’s photography of NYC train writers in action; together with AIKO’s timeless stenciling of delicate silhouettes and Gordon
Matta-Clark’s extraordinary archive of graffiti photography.
The ‘Dream Galleries’ chapter focuses on a selection of American and European originators, photo
documentarians and cultural icons who helped contextualize and spread graffiti culture around the world. In André Saraiva’s Dream series, there is a visual articulation of how graffiti, street art, hip-hop, punk, fashion and break-dancing all sprung from the late 1970s and early 1980s into the 90s and today, and became a hybrid celebration of underground culture. Featured artists also include Mister CARTOON, most famously known for his tattooing and Los Angeles murals; an extraordinary Beastie Boys installation featuring fashion and ephemera from the band’s prolific history; and LADY PINK’s feminist murals, illustrations and paintings.
The ‘Legends’ chapter will present icons such as legendary NYC artist, Eric HAZE, a torch bearer for
generations to come; a new large-scale painting by abstract expressionist artist José Parlá; advertisement posters by KAWS, a prominent creative force; and unique ephemera by Keith Haring, one of the most popular street artists of the 1980s.
The ‘Blockbusters’ chapter will include works commissioned specifically for this exhibition by graffiti
trailblazers Shepard Fairey, LA-based activist, and FAILE, a Brooklyn based artistic duo taking over the
streets of NYC since the late 90s.
‘Larger Than Life’ chapter will include a site-specific large-scale installation by LA-based icon Kenny
Scharf who will present the largest to date Cosmic Cavern; an immersive and interactive installation
consisting of Day-Glo paintings, ephemera, and reused materials found in the streets of LA. This chapter
will also feature the signature puppet characters made from recycled materials by Paul Insect, one of
London’s original street art pioneers.
The ‘Timeline’ chapter will take a deep dive into street culture history through archival photography,
ephemera and fashion to contextualize the cross-pollination of influences across music, fashion and film.
This chapter will also include a large wall vinyl by infamous feminist collective Guerrilla Girls – a deliberate nod to the fact that most street and graffiti artists, and indeed most well-known artists in contemporary art
overall are men.
The closing chapters consist of ‘Social Commentary: Graffiti as a message’; ‘Art with Conscience’
containing works by hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, and; ‘Consideration Into Innovation’ showcasing
Lisbon-based artist, VHILS, who innovatively utilizes repurposed materials to reimagine city walls.
In the final chapter ‘The Next Phase’ visitors will engage with new op-art works by Valencia based artist
Felipe Pantone, whose high-contrast, geometric patterns continue to challenge perspective resulting in a
distinctive aesthetic of the digital age.
Selected Quotes:
“A collection of pioneers like these in one place is rare. Being able to exhibit with such respected artists is something I don’t take for granted! I hope London is ready for a real glimpse into L.A. street art culture,” – featured artist, Mister CARTOON.
“With every exhibition we’ve put together I always learn something new and London is no exception. The
amount of stories and historical moments–some of which may have been forgotten and arguably unknown until now–are what will make our Saatchi Gallery show such a spectacle. We really hope to educate and inspire through a curious lens that digs into the nooks and crannies of all these subcultures and the massive role London played in bringing them to light on a world stage” – Curator, Roger Gastman.
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