PARIS — The mystery French street artist known only as “Invader” has struck Paris again — this time to celebrate the Olympics.
Invader has been cementing his quirky mosaics to Paris walls since the 1990s, usually at night and without permission. He’s become France’s most international, invasive and intriguing contemporary street artist. His works dot all corners of the City of Light and his fans have a lot of fun hunting them down.
And now there’s a new, Olympic-themed one for them to find.
Invader cemented it to a wall on one of the River Seine’s embankments sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday. Using tiles to create the mosaic, it shows one of his signature Space Invader figures running. The work’s colors evoke the shades of blue that Paris Games organizers have used to decorate the city for the Olympics.
A representative for artist — who, like him, maintains anonymity — said by email to The Associated Press that “Invader told me to say that he wanted to celebrate the Olympics in Paris with this mosaic. The space invader is running and he wears some of the colors of the Olympics signage.”
The artist’s admirers can download his app, called “Flash Invaders,” and then use it to take photos of any of his works that they find.
When they do, the app awards them points. The more works they find and “flash,” the more points they get.
It’s addictive: The app has nearly 400,000 players.
The new mosaic is the 1,512th that Invader has glued up in Paris. Players get 50 points when they flash it with his app. Since the first catalogued mosaic of a blue Space Invader went up on a Paris street in 1998, numbered PA_01, Invader has colonized the world. There are now more than 4,000 of his mosaics in cities and towns on all continents except Antartica.
On Instagram, the artist posted a photo Wednesday of the new work and the words “Special Olympic Games Paris 2024,” with a jogger running past.
That and a video post by the artist alerted admirers that there was a new work for them to find.
A small group of them quickly tracked it down, took its photo with the app, got their points, and spent time together admiring the work.
Super fan André Lavigne, a 64-year-old retired chemical engineer, was among the first to find and flash it. He is currently ranked in the top 100 players on the app, having tracked down 2,718 of the artist’s works in France and overseas.
In just the first few hours, the work was already generated buzz.
“I’ve seen many people coming and flashing and asking, ‘It’s a new one?’ And I say, ‘Yes, it has been put (up) last night.’ (They reply) ‘Oh, well, that’s extraordinary,” Lavigne said.
Another admirer, Gema Calero, rolled up on her bike and celebrated with a fist pump when she got her 50 points.
“It’s all fresh, it still smells of glue,” she said.
She says searching high and low across Paris for the works has taught her lots about the city and the value of looking around.
“It allows you to look at life differently. You hunt around. You look up a little bit. Because normally when we walk we look at what’s in front of us,” she said. “It’s super.”
Like Banksy, the British street artist he is sometimes likened to, Invader is elusive, fiercely protective of his anonymity and operating on the margins of illegality. He comes, glues, and disappears into the night, leaving behind his signature pixelated mosaics made mostly with small ceramic and glass tiles.
Most resemble the aliens from the Space Invaders arcade game. Others are wonderfully elaborate, such as still lives of fruit or, in New York, portraits of Lou Reed and Andy Warhol. Some reference pop culture — Spiderman, Star Wars, Bugs Bunny, Ninja Turtles, pizza and the like.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Paris street artist ‘Invader’ has created a new series of artwork to celebrate the upcoming Olympics and delight his fans around the world. Known for his distinctive pixelated mosaic style, Invader has been leaving his mark on cities across the globe for over two decades.
Invader, whose real identity remains a mystery, first gained fame in the late 1990s for his unique approach to street art. Inspired by classic video games like Space Invaders, he began creating small mosaic tiles in the shape of the iconic pixelated aliens and placing them on walls and buildings throughout Paris. Since then, his work has spread to cities such as London, New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
For his latest series of artworks, Invader has taken inspiration from the upcoming Olympics and incorporated elements of sports and athleticism into his designs. One of his new pieces features a pixelated runner crossing the finish line, while another depicts a diver mid-dive. These playful and colorful mosaics add a touch of whimsy to the urban landscape and bring a sense of joy to passersby.
Fans of Invader’s work have been eagerly searching the streets of Paris and other cities for his latest creations, documenting their finds on social media and sharing their excitement with fellow enthusiasts. Some have even organized scavenger hunts and meetups to explore the city together and discover all of Invader’s hidden gems.
In addition to his outdoor installations, Invader has also been busy preparing for an upcoming exhibition at a gallery in Paris. The show will feature a selection of his latest works, as well as some of his classic pieces from years past. This will be a rare opportunity for fans to see Invader’s art up close and learn more about his creative process.
As the Olympics draw nearer, Invader’s artwork serves as a reminder of the power of art to bring people together and inspire joy and wonder. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to his work, keep an eye out for Invader’s latest creations on the streets of Paris and beyond – you never know where his next masterpiece might appear.
