Yesterday I had a MobiSpray-performance and an exhibition of my MobiSpray photos in my home village (Oberderdingen) in Germany where I grew up. It was during a cultural weekend called ‘Art Inside’ which was organized by the local government. I was overwhelmed by the over 200 people who came out to watch the performance of painting the ‘Altes Schulhaus’ (old school building). Many kids, teenagers, families and elderly ones were there. It was great to meet many old friends and folks which I haven’t seen for over 20 years. During my performance of painting the building on all four sides (see photos) I was playing new
songs that I have composed and produced during the last few weeks. Providing an experience to the audience with live-painting and playing my own music as a unity was something I have been looking forward to for long. And now it was out there, and it was greatly received by the audience as told by many viewers. The whole thing felt like going back to my roots, to the place and path that has shaped me in my childhood and teenage life.
I recently came across a phrase by Jonathan Meese, a German contemporary artist, saying ‘art forms us, not we form art’ and I started to realize how true that is. While with new types of technology such as the MobiSpray system it is possible to create new forms of art making, it is however a much more powerful experience to realize what art does with us. To me it feels that the process of making my MobiSpray art, and giving other people a chance of experiencing it live and in exhibitions through my photos and videos, it sets my creative energy free on a level I had never imagined before. Yes, art in a sense, has revolutionized and is revolutionizing my life. I more and more see the world around me much stronger through the lens of art, which is a fascinating perspective. Thus I share much of Jonathan Meese’s motto of ‘Kunst an die Macht’ - which is freely translated: ‘let art reign’. Oh, yeah what can happen with us if we let art reign? How will it form us? It seems that sometimes we may only be able to see it when we go back to our roots.
The iconic Flatiron building in New York City was painted by artist Jürgen Scheible using his MobiSpray art tool, invited by CLEAR Wireless for a CLEAR 4G launch event on November 5th 2010. Jürgen was accompanied by New York based graffiti artist Andy Dolan. The public was also invited to come and paint during the event.
Flatriron building New York city painted with MobiSpray
The Media artist Jürgen Scheible painted the main building of University of Helsinki at Senate Square and three other buildings in different campuses during a MobiSpray event of University of Helsinki on 18.1.-21.1.2010. Here you find a video documentation, TV news coverage and radio interviews of the event. Enjoy!
If you happen to be in Helsinki on Monday 18th - 21st January 2010 come by and watch MobiLenin live in action, painting buildings of Helsinki university. The media art event celebrates the new era for the university and its 370-year history. Find more info from this blog: Mobispraying HU.
Dates and time of the MobiSpray sessions:
* Ma 18.1.2010 Keskustakampus, Senaatintori (Unionink. 34) klo 16-20
* Ti 19.1.2010 Meilahti, Biomedicum 1 (Haartmaninkatu 8 ) klo 16-20
* Ke 20.1.2010 Kumpula, A.I.Virtasen aukio (Gustaf Hällströminkatu 1 ) klo 16-20
* To 21.1.2010 Viikki, Biokeskus 1 (Kanslerinkaari) 16-20
This video shows the artist MobiLenin using his MobiSpray art tool to paint buildings, airplanes, ships and other objects around the world. MobiLenin’s digital ephemeral art is about transforming a building or object so it acquires a new power to communicate with artist or viewer and become alive and of value on its own account.
The MobiSpray art is about engaging in space, bringing extra tension or play to challenge peoples assumptions about an object or place. Similar to the artist Christo who uses buildings and object from the environment to create ephemeral art by wrapping them up, MobiLenin uses buildings and objects to create highly ephemeral art by painting on them with light and his Mobile phone. MobiLenin offers his MobiSpray live action painting show to event organizers globally.
MobiSpray was this year shown at Art Basel - but not in the traditional way as all the other artworks were, no, I hi-jacked the event and put it up in guerilla manner, in the MobiLenin style. Check out some of my trophies below. I’ll put up a video a bit later. I found the Art Basel this year highly inspiring and really worth visiting. I met many interesting people and had good talks.
Spraying outdoors on the huge frontside of the Art Basel Exhibition main hall. Yes, it was done by me.
Every evening I painted the citiy of Basel in some location that I was tempted to change into the looks as I want it. Here, I painted at the Marktplatz.
This is in some quater in the city centre somewhere.
