Invader brings his signature brand of pixellated street art to Over the Influence gallery

Invader, Rubik Tournesols (green), 2020, Rubik’s Cubes on Perspex, 74.5 x 57.5 x 8cm (29 3/8 x 22 5/8” x 3 1/8”)

You might know the work of widely regarded French contemporary urban artist Invader without ever realising his brand of street art is, well… art. Bursting onto the global scene in 1998, the anonymous, masked artist quickly gained notoriety for his “invasions”, in which he uses guerrilla tactics to place ceramic-tiled mosaics of 8-bit video game characters (think Space Invaders and Pac-Man) on city streets and landmarks around the world – in highly visible but often out-of-reach spaces. From the International Space Station to the bottom of Cancun Bay, from the iconic Hollywood sign to the Louvre Museum, and from the coolest pair of Nikes to the most inventive waffle maker, Invader’s left his mark pretty much everywhere, including here in Hong Kong.

Parallel to his public art, Invader creates work for galleries and institutions, which ushers in Hanging at Hong Kong’s Over the Influence gallery until August 8. This series of 20 new works includes some of his Alias mosaics and his Rubikcubism series. The former are artworks that are unique replicas of mosaics he makes on the streets, but are signed and accompanied by identity cards showing a photo of the mosaic in situ, and are designed to be hung on a wall indoors. Hanging features works from Dijon, Djerba, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Malaga, Paris, Ravenna and Versailles, among others. 

Meanwhile, his Rubikcubism works are a style of mosaic the artist developed in 2005, wherein he uses Rubik’s Cubes in various configurations to create six-colour, low-resolution images of famous paintings by the likes of Paul Gaugin, Vincent Van Gogh and Édouard Manet, as well as a slew of pop-culture references. Invader began that series with art’s most famous painting, creating the Rubik Mona Lisa. At Over the Influence, he features a catchy portrait of Princess Leia from Star Wars.

By highlighting the growing role of technology in our lives, Invader ultimately confronts the implications of contemporary culture’s biggest influence – the digital invasion. 

See the exhibition at Over the Influence, 159 Hollywood Rd, Central, 11am–7pm (Tue–Sat)

Invader, DJBA_54, 2019-2020, ceramic tiles on Perspex, 33.3 x 47.6 cm (13 1/8 x 18 3/4”)

Invader, PA_1190, 2016-2020, ceramic tiles on Perspex, 160 x 90 cm (63 x 35 3/8”)

Invader, PA_1393, 2019-2020, ceramic tiles on Perspex, 54.3 x 51.9 cm (21 3/8 x 20 3/8”)

Invader, PA_1385, 2019-2020, ceramic tiles on Perspex, 85 x 49.5 cm (33 1/2 x 19 1/2”)

Invader, PA_1396, 2019-2020, ceramic tiles on Perspex, 66.3 x 133cm (26 1/8 x 52 3/8”)

Images: Courtesy of the artist and Over the Influence

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