How tape art makes the boundaries between urbanity and art blur

In the still little -known art form "tape art" , adhesive tapes and tapes are used to create impressive works. More and more artists and art lovers from the street art scene are using these materials to create their work and to exhibit at events such as the "Tape Art Convention" in Berlin . Workshops and kits offer Contact Us and colors for interested parties and a team from Tape Art Experts can help if necessary.

Tape Art: A new art form that makes borders blurred

Tape Art is a relatively new art form that quickly gains popularity. Instead of using colors and brushes, tape art artists use adhesive tapes or so-called Gaffa Tape or Duct Tape to create their works of art. The material is easy to get and the design options are limitless.

The tape art works of art are often limited in time (keyword: temporary vandalism ) and are often also created for events or exhibitions. Berlin is an example of a city that is enthusiastic about Tape Art and offers tape art workshops and events in a regularity to promote this art form.

Adhesive tapes have the potential to blur the boundaries between urbanity and art and thus transform the urban spaces. It also enables the use of art as a way to change the city and the promotion of urban culture.

The use of adhesive tapes as the main material is unconventional and therefore it opens doors to artists who may otherwise not have or only have a marginally access to the art scene. The art form promotes the Contact Us between the local community and the artists by organizing joint art workshops and projects.

Tape Art shows that art not only has to take place in a gallery or in a museum, but also in public space and that boundaries between urbanity and art should blur, because this can make our urban rooms more accessible and interesting.

What is TAPE ART? A brief definition and conceptual limitation

Tape Art is a form of street art and an urban art form that has increased more and more in recent years. Here, adhesive tapes of different colors and widths glued to a surface in order to create art.

These surfaces can be, for example, walls, floors or even vehicles. The works of art can have different motifs: abstract forms, portraits, landscapes, animals or graphics, everything is possible.

The art form allows you to be creative in a playful way and to exploit your imagination. Tape Art is also a very flexible art form. It can be carried out at almost any place and on almost any surface. The adhesive tapes used can easily be removed so that the works of art are temporary.

Tape Art is also used more and more for advertising purposes. Companies have their logos or slogans create in the form of tape art to create attention and to stand out from the competition. Overall, Tape Art is a young, exciting and diverse art form that is interesting for both experienced artists and amateurs.

Urbanity and art - an unexpected pairing

Tape Art may be a relatively new art form, but its versatility has made it possible to use artists in an unexpected way, especially to combine urbanity and art. It is therefore a sub -form of urban art movement, only that instead of spray cans and stencils, tape is placed as a predominant material.

In cities like Berlin there are numerous examples of tape art projects that can be found in public places such as underpasses or bridges. But that's not all. Tape art events and conventions bring together artists and enthusiasts from all over the world to try out new materials and colors and work in teams to decorate boxes and walls with extraordinary designs.

Workshops and tape art kits also offer opportunities to learn the material and art form, regardless of whether you are an experienced artist or an amateur. Selfmadecrew has undoubtedly found its place in the art world. This new form of Street Art opens up other ways to make the urban space in creative and sustainable ways.

How tape art turns the urban area

The decisive factor that distinguishes tape art from traditional sculptures and paintings in public and private space is that you can attach tape art anywhere. Outdoor installations work just as well as inner installations . This can be everywhere, from doors to floors to the blankets of galleries.

There are some advantages of tape painting , which we considered worth mentioning. First, paintings with adhesive tape can be attached quickly and efficiently without causing excessive noise, which makes them suitable for all temporary or small urban art installations .

In addition, in contrast to art, which is produced with spray paint, tapes do not leave any permanent traces and can easily be removed without toxic smells. These tape-painting installations do not require cover or mask. The adhesive tape itself is relatively easy to use and can be attached to a variety of surfaces.

Surfaces

Surfaces on which tape art can be attached:

• Stone
• Wood
• asphalt
• Composites
• Material
• Glass
• aluminum
• plastic
• Acrylic glass
• Wall
• Cover
• Floors
• Statue
• Lantern
• Building
• Vehicles
• uvm

Materials

materials can be used for tape art because it is a free art form. Nevertheless, there are some things to consider when looking for suitable materials and substrates. Tissue tape (Gaffa Tape / Duct Tape) is a popular choice for tape painting.

For filigree work indoors, materials with a smooth surface are increasingly chosen.

The various available varieties can be used on different substrates. The general rule is that the surface to which the adhesive tape is attached should be free of dust and fat to ensure good liability.

Which adhesive tape for tape art?

The adhesive tape plays a crucial role. It should stick well and do not replace it so easily even after long use. For tape art, it is best to be suitable for crepe tape , Gaffa tape (narrow: duct tape) or Washi tape .

Crepe tape or conventional package adhesive tape are also used adhesive tapes by tape art because they are very easy to detect, but also stick very well. For example, crepe tape is relatively thin and can also be used in narrower curves. There are different widths, so that it is suitable for a wide variety of tape art projects. Froebband is particularly good for preparing the area because it does not leave any adhesive residues.

Gaffa Tape, on the other hand, is thicker and more robust than the wiping band. It is ideal if you want to glue a little longer of existing art or outdoor because it is very resistant. However, it is also very difficult to detach. It is particularly suitable for larger projects and if you prefer stronger colors.

Washi tape is a slightly thinner tape than the other two and has a particularly matt look. It usually also printed a pattern or color and is therefore particularly suitable for decorative tape art projects. It can also be replaced very well and does not leave any adhesive residue, but it doesn't stick as strongly as the male band or Gaffa tape.

In the meantime, there are special artist bands , such as artist band for canvases, from different brands that are made in different widths and in different striking and fashionable colors.

Where did tape art come about? A brief review

This art form was developed out of Urban Art in the 1960s. As an alternative to the largely popular spray painting movement ( Spray Paint Movement ), which dominated the urban art scene. There are reports that the origins of the tape art of Tape Art Crew back on Providence, Rhode Island in the United States, in the late 1980s, where tape art was left at courtyards, sidewalks, abandoned buildings and public places.

These tape paintings were usually spread over a few areas and often showed a sequence of episodes that extended over several days. After completing the work, art would be removed within 24 hours to make room for the new band art that would appear before sunrise.

Tape Art quickly enjoyed great popularity and spread beyond the United States in other countries such as Canada, Australia and Europe.

Tape Art is still a collaborative art form with life -size representations, although the intention to mostly remove art after completion remains.

Beginnings in Germany and evolution of adhesive art

El Bocho the wall of the Stadtbad Wedding in 2009 as part of the exhibition "Urban Affairs Extended" and thus caused a sensation.

The Kunstfabrik Heyne in Offenbach am Main opened the first group exhibition in Europe in early 2015, and works by seven European tape artists and two collectives from Berlin were shown. Tape art artists such as Max Zorn Art Basel Miami with their projects . The Polish artist Monika Grzymala, , exhibits her three -dimensional installations worldwide in renowned galleries and museums, such as the Kunsthalle Hamburg or Albertina in Vienna.

In October 2016, the first International Tape Art Convention - an exhibition in the Neurotitan Gallery - took place in Berlin. In addition to the German artist collective Tape, Buff Diss, Slava Osinski, Selfmadecrew, Benjamin Murphy and the already mentioned Max Zorn participated .

Since then, Tape Art has continued to develop and there are now internationally known artists and exhibitions. Tape Art is often referred to as the "urban art" or "street art" , since it can often be found in public space or on buildings and walls of cities. It is particularly impressive here that the works of art are mostly temporary and are removed after a certain time, which means that the works of art can be rediscovered and perceived again and again.

This brings us to one of the reasons why Tape species has become so popular-in contrast to graffiti, legal! Tape Art has developed into a worthy opponent of graffiti culture over the years. Protest art and performance art with adhesive tapes, however, retain a certain subversive and socially critical character.

Tape artists and their work have attracted great media attention in the past ten years. The growing fascination of the media for tape art led to an influx of people who were increasingly interested in the use of tape art in their private interior. What started as a subversive art form soon developed into an accessible.

There are still public installations with adhesive tape that still claim their place in urban areas; Then there are tape art pieces that hang on the walls of galleries, stand as a three-dimensional sculpture or exist as canvas paintings with adhesive tape; Tape art became collector's objects; Paintings with adhesive tape take place in architectural installation; Three-dimensional image illusions made of a layered package band were presented as a form of urban trompe-l'œil . The use of the simple medium of adhesive tape has experienced great upswing all over the world and produced a wide variety of forms.

There were and gives interdisciplinary collaborations with various artists from the urban graffiti scene. Not to mention the cooperation between tape artists and digital art forms . In fact, the fusion of the two is now referred to as tape mapping and it is the mixture of tape art and video mapping that brilliantly encourages the tape species with visual effects.

In the variety of ligaments produced, there are now ligaments that differ in structure, color and shape. The selection ranges from colorful to transparent, from matt to glossy, from wide to narrow. The large selection of available adhesive tapes enables the realization of different ideas. Tape Art promotes a completely experimental art direction. Today we find that tape art is most popular in cities like Berlin, where special art projects always arise that continue to attract attention.

Due to its user -friendliness, Tape Art is no longer just for professional artists. It has become a favorite for handicrafts, DIY projects and interior decorations.

Nowadays, tape art is often also used for brand advertising or as a marketing instrument and there are even companies that specialize in tape art.

Famous tape art artist and famous adhesive art

This still young art form has already produced some well -known artists and art collectives who have created true masterpieces with adhesive tape. Their artistic achievements are no longer limited to wall illustrations.

Max Zorn

There are some famous names in the world of Tape Art that you should pay attention to. This includes the Dutch artist Max Zorn. Anger has been dealing with the creation of tape art since 2011, mainly street art and urban art . He developed his own style by brown package as a preferred medium and then cutting the adhesive tapes on the acrylic glass with a scalpel to create portraits that are illuminated from behind.

Buff Diss - Tape Master Down Under

The Australian artist Buff Diss sidewalks, trains and industrial buildings have been decorating its unconventional use of adhesive tape since 2005. His work includes a variety of styles and themed materials, from contour drawings and geometric shapes to complicated portraits of mythological figures.

Despite the transience of the chosen medium, the work of art itself leaves a lasting impression on those who are lucky enough to see it.

The artist's emphasis on placement, attention to detail and inclusion of its surroundings leads to interactive pieces that awakened not only through their surroundings, but also by the people who get caught in them.

In an interview with Fast Co.Create from 2013, Buff Diss announced that the change from the use of colors to adhesive tape was purely random. The artist also revealed that he rarely outlines his work before creating it and explained that he enjoys directing to find a room and react to it without having a work in mind.

However, Buff Diss recently combined adhesive tape and drawing elements for its installation in the TWO Wrongs pub in Melbourne. The artist was inspired by Dürer's Inferno series, the cover of Joy Divisions Unknown Pleasures and the background backdrop from Street Fighter II:

Buff Diss recently also worked with fashion photographer Tess Everett for a series inspired by the Shakespeare figure Ophelia. The series entitled "Ophelia's Rest" shows Models, which posing in the middle of a city landscape full of hypnotic, graphic patterns and floral details that the artist designed with his favorite material.

Aakash Nihalani - Geometric Tape Art Made in New York

The New York street artist Aakash Nihalani is a great friend of geometric shapes.

neon-colored adhesive tape, the artist Nihalani brings existing objects in public space from NYC to his "tape art" creations. Due to its skilful handling of geometric shapes and bright colors, it gives the urban structures and constructs a new liveliness.

In his latest series "Landline" he even goes one step further and integrates people from Brooklyn into his works of art. In doing so, he dispenses with digital post -processing and instead relies on a perfectly coordinated viewing angle.

Down here you can admire some impressive examples from this extraordinary series. With adhesive tape as a tool, the artist Aakash Nihalani creates a variety of bodies and figures. Her integration into photographs creates optical illusions that captivate the viewer. The creation of these works took place in the pulsating metropolis of New York.

In terms of his art, Nihalani comments as follows:

"I am Trying to Offer People A Chance to Step Into A Different New York Than They Are Used To Seein, Momentarily Escape from Routine Schedules and Lives. We All Need the Opportunity to See the City More Playfully, as a World Dominated by the Interplay of Very Basic Color and Shape. "

He got that wonderfully.

El Bocho

Another remarkable work of art comes from the Berlin artist El Bocho. As part of the exhibition "Urban Affairs Extended" in 2009, he produced a tape art piece on the Stadtbad Wedding wall, in which he only used adhesive strips.

El Bocho's work caused a sensation.

Self -made

Behind the "Selfmadecrew" artist collective based in Berlin , which is represented worldwide and is primarily concerned with urban art forms. Six artists combine the common love for contemporary, urban art.

The Selfmadecrew was founded in 2015 by Slava Osinski , a tape art and street art artist, who had caused a sensation with his works several times at home and abroad.

Since its foundation, the Berlin collective has dealt with different techniques and areas of contemporary art-in addition to tape art, the crew members have also specialized in spray can art, for example, both indoors and outdoors.

Live painting events

You organize live painting events ( live painting ) and take part in many street art and art-am construction projects.

The subsequent video shows in the style of a tape art tutorial how Street Art from Gaffa Klebe Band is created by the self -made. The video was created during a live show at the WelcomeCamp event in Berlin . The completed work of art measure a size of 200 x 300 cm. The picture was completed after a proud 6 hours.

A detailed description of the project can also be found here: Selfmadecrew.de/live-show-welComecamp/

Fame and a high standing in the scene gained them through their remarkable tape art and street art projects as well as through cooperation with different partners such as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research , Urban Nation-Berlin Museum of Urban Art , the Goethe Institute and many others.

Another live painting for a good cause took place as part of an art project for the long night of museums in 2022 in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

The visitors of the Hanseatic Museum in Lübeck experienced the “Long Night of the Museums” in 2022 under the motto “Upside Down” . A highlight of the evening was the Caricative Live Painting Show of the SelfMadecrew, which was connected to a fundraiser for the victims of war in Ukraine.

Due to their generous donations, visitors to the event were able to make an important contribution. At the end of the evening, the resulting tape art artwork was raffled off among all donors. The Selfmadecrew around Slava Osinski was inspired by Andy Warhol's Holstentor artwork and reinterpreted it for the event. Solidarity and charity shaped the “Long Night of Museums” in 2022, in which every visitor had the opportunity to get involved in the victims of the Ukraine War.

The artists of the Selfmadecrew also donated their freshly created work of art for the good cause.

Mural Art at the prison wall of a functioning youth criminal investment in Berlin

In a fully functional youth criminal offense in Berlin there is a unique portrait wall painting ( Mural Art ) of the crew at a prison wall. It is difficult to imagine that this would be possible in another place in the world, but it has become a reality in Berlin.

For this project, the artist collective immortalized a portrait of Helmut Hübener (1925-1942) , a member of the German underground resistance, which was executed in the Third Reich in the JVA-Plötzensee in Berlin.

However, the artists did not completely paint over the wall, after all, it was a wall in a prison. That alone was extremely symbolic for the artist group. Therefore, they have only opted for white color - a color that stands for innocence in many cultures.

Packing Tape Art against drugs and prostitution - brown pack band and light at the Huzur project with the Urban Nation Museum

Bülowstraße in Berlin does not have the best reputation: prostitutes are on the side of the road, Junkies Lungern in dark streets and dodgy figures shape the street scene.

The Huzur senior meeting is located on this infamous Bülowstrasse. Right on the street.

The dark foyer? A popular point of contact for prostitutes, freelancers and junkies. The residents therefore hardly dared to get out of their own doorstep in the evening.

The solution? Selfmadecrew , the Berlin artist Felix Rodewaldt and Slava Osinski - initiated by the Urban Nation Museum that Bülowstraße can also do it differently : with Street Art in the foyer.

The dreary Bülowstrasse should become a real eye -catcher, a place of art, creativity and joy.

Works of art created with brown and colored packaging band are a specialty of the crew. This art technology only works together with the light. Therefore, the works are always illuminated from behind. Either with sunlight or artificial lighting such as LED or fluorescent tubes.

For smaller pictures, a separate light box is usually designed and built. In the following video you can observe the progress that Slava Osinski has made in this technique in recent years ...

A beautiful, inclusive idea of ​​the entire project team was also that every resident of Huzur was able to participate in the creative redesign and take a taste of the Street Art work process. The subsequent "Behind the Scenes" video takes us with the development of this social street art project:

Order art for brands and companies

Order art or office design, graffiti or live event show at trade fairs, advertising campaign or marketing project-In the gallery of the SelfMadecrew you will find pictures and information about their previous cooperation with well-known brands, IT companies and lifestyle brands.

In the pulsating team, the young makers realize their ideas hand in hand with experienced and recognized artists. The creative minds of the self -made by self -made members are always called new, young and aspiring members in their collective to renew themselves from the inside with innovative ideas and fresh wind.

Slava Osinski

In addition to his supporting role in Selfmadecrew, Slava O. also created a standing beyond the scene as a single artist. One of the most interesting tape-art-Pieces in Berlin is the Portable Tornado from Slava O. from 2014. This three-dimensional sculpture was made of over 450 roller package tape and adhesive tape. The 3D sculpture develops a strong visual suction effect and a fascination for the immense adhesive power of adhesive rolls.

The immense building is very present, it is five meters high and extends to two meters at its widest point near the ceiling. At the widest point it has almost two meters in diameter. The creation lasted 7 days. Slava O. created this sculpture during an event in the “Laboratory Mensch” art festival in 2014.

The multi -layered and partly dramatic vita of Slava O. Animates a closer look at his most formative phases of life.

Vyacheslav "Slava" Osinski was born in Ukraine (then USSR) in 1978 and completed his art studies there, in which he acquired the techniques of drawing and linocuts. In 1993 he began studying architecture, which he had to cancel due to his emigration to Germany in 1995. Together with his family, he arrived as a contingent refugee in Lübeck and was confronted there with aggressive rejection and social hatred.

Slava also had to struggle with health problems that led to hearing loss and increasingly worsened. In 2003 he finally moved to Berlin and studied printing technology from 2004 to 2007.

His passion for painting and contemporary art finally culminated in a fateful encounter with the German minimalist Stefan Müller in Berlin. A friendship quickly developed from this acquaintance. As a result, Slava dealt intensively with the challenges of contemporary art.

In 2010 he finally started his own creative path and registered as an independent artist. He has been active as a street artist since 2011 and describes himself as an autodidactic adventurer who is always looking for new possibilities and visual techniques. His first stencil work on Berlin streets appeared under the pseudonym "Ostap" (OstaPchenko) .

In 2013, Slava Resident became the Urban Spree (Berlin) gallery and received his first studio there. In the following two years he was able to fully realize his ideas and produced several series in urban areas, including "Spree Can" (2013-2018) , "Spreewald Underground" (2013-2018), "Art is ..." (2014), "Faqlove" (2013-2015) and "Indulence" (2013-2014).

When experimenting with adhesive tape and the principle of action of a monochrome grid, he opened new optical effects with his JFK portrait on the facade of the JFK Arcotel Berlin in 2015.

This work of art was created by the clever attachment of white adhesive tape on the glass of a window. The background of the work was thus formed by the glass. The distance between the adhesive tape and the glass resulted in a fascinating contrast that draws the eye of the viewer.

The glass appears darker at a greater distance than the white adhesive tape. Nevertheless, the work remains permeable to the gaps in the tape and offers a look into the outside. The natural light also falls through the window and illuminates the work in a special way.

In the same year, the artist invented his own "fire" called "Selfmadecrew" to take part in legal projects. Since then, he has participated in numerous exhibitions and order projects together with his crew.

New Tape Street Art series: bananas as a digital data carrier and autonomous self-care ear cup

Despite his commitment in the self -made -madem, Slava does not remain idle as a single artist and continues to work close to his roots in the street.

Including a banana created with Duct Tape, which turns out to be a digital data carrier and an ear cup that is unashamedly popping with your finger and sometimes authoritarian as a self-crowned majesty or rescue power with a nurse cap. What does the symbolism in these works tell us?

What does the recurring Red Cross mean in Ostap's works? What message does the Street Art want to convey artists with his murals? For many Urban Art representatives, the Tape Street Art is not only about aesthetics, but also about meaningful and social relevance.

Therefore, artists like Ostap always experiment with new techniques and materials to make their works even more meaningful. Tape Street Art is a way to express yourself creatively and at the same time set a statement. In contrast to graffiti, this art form can be carried out without damage to buildings or public property.

And so it remains to be seen which new ideas and projects this talented artist will present to us in the future - but it is already certain that the Tape Street Art has the potential to become the next great art movement in the urban environment!

Felix Rodewaldt - glue south of the white sausage equator

Some artists use pencils, others swear by brush. But the Munich Felix Rodewaldt also lines up in our illustrious line -up and relies on the unusual all -purpose weapon. While other difficulties have a package to close a package, the 27-year-old gives a further dimension with PVC, crepe or fabric tape.

He sticks them over a large area and always creates new patterns.

"I change the space and create movement with my art",

says Rodewaldt. His works are often colorful and geometric, because with his tape art, the mathematical aspect is in the foreground, which comes towards him because he admits that he cannot paint well.

His customers are enthusiastic and he already has orders from renowned companies and the public sector. The former art academy student from Munich originally worked with a completely different medium, namely "Stencils" , a kind of graffiti that is sprayed with the help of stencils.

Later he glued the staircase to the "Hearhouse" , a cross between club and bar on Lenbachplatz, which was previously unadorned and dark. But Rodewaldt knew how to remedy the situation and adorned the staircase with a black and white herringbone pattern.

Although Rodewaldt is now working mainly with adhesive tape, he still has good Contact Us E to the graffiti scene.

"Some friends of mine who make graffiti use my tape work as the basis for their stencils",

He revealed in an interview with Munich Merkur . Therefore, he always sees his own works a little as a colored template for the work of his artist friends.

Tape that

Tape that is an artist collective based in Berlin. Your work ranges from simple minimalist black and white wall paintings to complex and colorful light and video installations.

These can be found in exhibitions, galleries, abandoned buildings, clubs, showrooms, pop-up stores, offices, events or on exhibition stands and facades. The collective creates works of art as they are inspired by the spatial conditions and involve them in the creative process.

The crew is fascinated by the idea of ​​creating art from an everyday object that is a matter of course for most people. Although based in Berlin, the adhesive artists travel around the world regularly to raise awareness of Tape Art and to establish them as a recognized art form.

The importance of tape art for urban culture

Especially in urban areas such as Berlin there are more and more events, workshops and conventions that are devoted to Tape Art. The importance of tape art for urban culture lies in the fact that it makes the boundaries between art and urban space blur.

Artists work with different materials such as colors and adhesive tapes to realize their ideas in difficult places. They often work in a team and use special kits and tapes to create their works of art. This cooperation and the use of unconventional materials creates positive Contact Us between those involved and contributes to a stronger community.

In addition, many artists use tape art as a means of changing the city and drawing attention to local topics. Overall, Tape Art contributes to the fact that the boundaries between urbanity and art are blurred and a new, dynamic art form arises.

The adhesive tape not only becomes a material, but also a melting pot, a team and an art form that brings us all together. It's not just about creating works of art, but also about how they are related to the people, the city and the surrounding area. Tape Art gives us the opportunity to look at the world around us in a different way and to work in a way that is enriching for all of us.