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    André Saraiva X Art of Ping Pong Collaboration

    The Art of Ping Pong is excited to announce their collaboration with acclaimed graphic artist André Saraiva.Graffiti was the first way in which artist André Saraiva made his mark on the world. André was the first graffiti artist to paint a character in place of the traditional tag name, he quickly became known as Paris’ most active street artist.For this project, André embraced Art of Ping Pong’s ethos of blending contemporary art with play. His subversive characters dance across collectable ping pong bats and balls, replete with a signature pink ArtNet, designed to decorate your wall whilst being ever-ready to transform any table into an instant ping pong playground.At the same time, the limited edition ArtTable plays double duty—an iconic André design that acts both as art and a wall-mountable ping pong table. Crafted in black and pink, the ArtTables are a limited numbered, signed, and authenticated edition—hand-finished in the Art of Ping Pong’s London studio.The limited edition ArtTable – numbered, signed, and authenticated – featuring a pink design by André, is not just a ping pong table but a truly unique, wallmountable artwork that transforms into a ping pong table within seconds.Q: André, the current appetite for art collectables is no secret; you’ve been at the forefront of this for some time now. They are truly sought-after pieces and a great way for collectors to access an artist’s work.Not only are Art of Ping Pong’s pieces great collectables, but their desire is for these pieces to encourage a connection with others through play. Right now, it seems, the world desperately needs more moments of joy and connection. So, AoPP’s pieces have a heightened relevance.You’ve previously taken your own art into your hotels and clubs. Places that also draw people together and foster connection. But, as an artist, how do you feel about this collaboration going one step further and being used for play as well as art?— Algy Batten, AoPP co-founderA: For me, art and playing come together. Bringing people together in spaces has always been part of my art and my different projects. I consider the hotels and clubs as art pieces, the same as a subway, trains or walls; all of them are surfaces to spread Mr.A travelling around. It’s part of my graffiti philosophy; a train, a t-shirt, or ping pong balls is the concept of the idea of my art across the globe.— André Saraiva About André SaraivaAndré and his signature character have both appeared in many global brand collaborations and campaigns for over 30 years. André’s work has been shown in museums and contemporary art galleries around the world.He sees every one of his many ventures as part of the same irreverent lifelong art piece. One that he always approaches with a wink – just like his iconic graffitied alter – ego, Mr. A.About Art of Ping PongArt of Ping Pong has a simple mission to make art more playful; fusing art with functional design, they create vibrant art objects to populate our living spaces. Their pieces also have a real-life purpose to encourage connection with others through conversation and play. Inspired by modern compact living and a need to seize every available source of joy, their wall-hanging ping pong tables, nets and bats seamlessly transform your space into an immediate playground. Art of Ping Pong collaborates with creatives, brands and designers alike who share the spirit of their world, and collaborators have included Yayoi Kusama, Nike, Mira Mikati, Javier Calleja, Malika Favre, The Hoxton and Campbell Hay. More

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    “Street Chronicles” Group Exhibition at UrbanBreak, Seoul, South Korea

    Urban & Street Art Fair, URBAN BREAK 2022, marks its third anniversary this year. URBAN BREAK drew attention with 15,000 people attending in 2020, the first year alone. Last year, despite COVID-19 at its peak, 40,000 people visited the fair, thereby solidifying its status as one of the most prominent fairs.Rom Levy, director of StreetArtNews, co-planned the Special Exhibition of International Street Artists. Entitled Street Chronicles, the exhibition is showcasing the works of artists who were the pillars of street art techniques, concepts and different styles.STREET CHRONICLES retraces a side of Urban Art history bringing the streets of NYC and London to Seoul.Street art was considered vandalism when protesters during wars and political corruptions used the walls of their cities to comment on political and social issues with slogans and graffitis. What was initially regarded as vandalism has since become a significant art form. Murals and other forms of street art are renowned for their beautification of cities, raising awareness, and standing as witnesses to history.This proposal includes Banksy, whose identity remains anonymous to the day. His politically charged works provoke alternative viewpoints, encouraging revolution in the art world, making him one of the most controversial street artists. Banksy’s work has been breaking down the boundaries and expectations of street art critics, using many different street art mediums and styles. Banksy began his graffiti practice inspired by Blek Le Rat, one of the most prominent artists in Street Art. Inspired by what he saw in New York during his visit in 1971, Blek Le Rat started creating artworks across the streets of Paris in 1981. He primarily used stencils in his practice. His first stencils were black rats running along the walls throughout Paris. In 1983 he began to paint life-sized stencils, which became his trademark alongside his rats and have influenced generations of street artists worldwide.Also included are other notable Urban artists such as D*Face, Shepard Fairey and Invader, who all contributed to the development of the art styles and mediums. Alongside artists from the newer generation who weave the connection between street art and the wave of the new contemporary, such as Roby Dwi Antono, Andrew Hem, Lonac and Andrew Schoultz. Their work bridges contemporary art aesthetics with illustrative figuration. For example, Andrew Hem incorporates atmospheric and richly textured narratives in a vivid palette of twilight blues invigorated by fields of deep red and specks of golden light. Spirits are evoked through the visionary presentation of remembrances and dreams of his haunting impressions of civilisation and landscapes. While Andrew Schoultz’s work has a visual approach to social and political commentary. His enormous murals, paintings, installations and sculptures are heavily patterned, creating an intense and mesmerising vision of current events.Street art is dedicated to bringing art to the people, raising awareness about political and social issues, and portraying the truth of reality.‘I want the characters of the paintings to walk out of the museums to give them back to the people of the city.’ -Blek Le Rat.Tickets for URBAN BREAK 2022 are sold at KRW 20,000 for general admission and at KRW 100,000 for VIP admission. Those who have purchased VIP tickets can enter early from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm prior to the exhibition to be open on July 21st, 2022, at 3:00 pm. Venue will be at COEX Hall B, Seoul, South Korea.You can book your tickets to this year’s Urban Break at their website. More