The phenomenon of street art circulates in the media as a term which tends to be associated with the aliases Banksy, Swoon, Shepard Fairy/Obey Giant or JR. The stars of the scene have long since become a part of the international art market and are celebrating a stunning commercial success. Street art emerged as a movement of artists and activists who annex their medium. The spiritual heirs of Jean Michel Basquiat, Jenny Holzer and Keith Haring have – at least in their readiness to enter into conflict with the public order established by the state – fought for their own artistic space in which to create. Driven by a selfless passion to – frequently illegally – create and communicate in the global medium of the street.
The “Berliner Strasse” exhibition is the attempt to examine the term street art from a broader perspective. It features seven artists from Berlin who in their work and through their biography have an authentic relationship to con- temporary street culture, but can’t always be associated with the local notion of street art. The positions shown reflect both the art on the street as well as the street in the art.
