A kaleidoscope of colors - a bridge between the OZM HAMMERBROOKLYN and “A city becomes colourful”
Art has the power to be an expression of its time while presenting the individuality of its creators. Once she has made it onto the wall in the museum, she begins to influence the image of her time among a wider audience. Works of art are formative when they appropriately present a period of time and thus become an image of their present.
The fact that the art of graffiti can also do this is proven by the current exhibition “A city becomes colorful” in the Museum of Hamburg History, which can be seen until the end of July 2023 and deals with the topic primarily from a socio-cultural perspective. After many, many years, a larger museum dares to take on the culture and history of graffiti again and to present it in its halls.
The curatorial team, consisting of Mirko tear (DAIM), Oliver “Davis” Nebel, Frank Petering and Andreas Timm, has managed to create an impressive exhibition, some of which gives very intimate insights into the world of the Hamburg writer scene of the 1980s and 90s. Unexpected knowledge gaps are closed by unpublished documents and objects as well as first-hand information. For this reason, it is very worthwhile to take a guided tour with e.g. B. Oliver “Davis” Nebel or Mirto make ko Reisser, who also act as artists and Davis as workshop leader for the OZM HAMMERBROOKLYN are active. The two writers and Hamburg graffiti veterans are so deeply involved in the matter that they are not only able to explain the exhibition in a great way, but also with exciting ones Anekknow how to enrich dots about that time. This is how knowledge sticks!
In addition to countless photographs, black books, sketches, record covers, film recordings and cans from different years, etc., original clothing and the first books and magazines dealing with graffiti can also be admired.
Here is an example of one of the first books dealing with the subject of graffiti. According to Davis, it was only printed in a limited edition, which is why it is a real gem today.
What is also very impressive and touching is a large, colorful wooden canvas created by the two artists ArtOne and GODLING Designed in 1991 as part of an exhibition project at the Altonaer Museum. The institution was the first museum in Hamburg to deal with the subject of graffiti. So 30 years ago it was a recognition for the two young sprayers that they were legally and officially allowed to paint the large-format work for a museum (!) and were able to present it in a public context. All the better that the work of art has been preserved over the decades - albeit under lock and key - and is now being shown to the public again. Also for the two artists, who each have an exhibition in the OZM HAMMERBROOKLYN in which their brilliant works of art can be seen, it was a moving moment when they saw the work again after more than 30 years. This is living history!
megawars, ArtOne and GODLING, spray paint on wood, approx. 5 x (200 x 150 cm), 1991, lender: Altonaer Museum
Anyone interested in graffiti, urban art and the artistic development of GODLING, ArtOne, Mirko tear (DAIM) and other artists should definitely go to OZM HAMMERBROOKLYN come. Here the genesis of some artists can be understood very well. So there is in the stock of ArtOnes exhibition "Aerosol HandStyles" many graffiti works, which come from different years and thus offer a fabulous overview of his artistic development.
The GODLINGwho along with Anna Pokrywiec designed several rooms, the art of graffiti is used in a completely different way, opening up new perspectives on it.
And also at DAIM in his exposition “Simple as that” one can find topics such as style writing, portrait art and other exciting contents.
If you still haven't had enough of the history of graffiti after visiting the Museum of Hamburg History, you can also visit the OZM HAMMERBROOKLYN find another small exhibition of “A city becomes colorful”. In the quiet and relaxed atmosphere you can get the best information, study original contemporary documents or be inspired by the very authentic surroundings.
In addition, the exhibitions and guided tours through the exhibit provide a glimpse of the future of graffiti, urban art and digital art, because art is being further developed and placed in new contexts here. In the OZM HAMMERBROOKLYN the story is spun on and the creative freedom that is so urgently needed is guaranteed.
With the exhibitions in OZM HAMMERBROOKLYN and in the Museum of Hamburg History, it is not only the graffiti art that succeeds in bringing visitors to mind, but also its protagonists. It doesn't often happen that both components are placed on an equal footing in a larger museum space and thus receive such an appreciation. An art that is still quite young – although it is now more than 30 years old in Germany – became the expression of an entire generation and demonstrates how they deal with and interact artistically with the various places and circumstances. History is often written by the "powerful". Graffiti reveals to us the hidden narratives of those who, without this art, would most likely have been forgotten.