Invader is a

pseudonymous A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's ow ...

French street artist. He is known for his ceramic tile mosaics modeled on the pixelated art of 1970s–1980s

8-bit In computer architecture, 8-bit integers or other data units are those that are 8 bits wide (1 octet). Also, 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers or data bu ...

video games, many of which depict the titular aliens from the

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...

s ''

Space Invaders is a 1978 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Taito for Arcade video game, arcades. It was released in Japan in April 1978, with the game being released by Midway Manufacturing overseas. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed s ...

, Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros.'' (the inspirations for his pseudonym)''.'' , his creations can be seen in highly-visible locations in 79 cities in 20 countries. To accompany his citywide installations, or "Invasions", Invader publishes books and maps as guides to the locations of his mosaics. Invader also makes mosaics using QR codes and stacks of Rubik's Cubes (with the latter typically installed indoors).

History

Space Invaders and spray can mosaic graffiti in Paris

A graduate of a Parisian

École des Beaux-Arts ; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centu ...

, Invader initially derived inspiration for his creations from the video games he played when he was growing up in the 1970s and 80s. Using tiles to represent the

pixel In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a Raster graphics, raster image, or the smallest addressable element in a dot matrix display device. In most digital display devices, p ...

s in the games' 8-bit graphics, Invader began making mosaics in Paris in the 1990s, and went on to install mosaics in 31 other cities in France. Invader has since staged "invasions" in cities and countries worldwide, including seven in New York City and three in Hong Kong. He often installs mosaics in culturally and/or historically important locations, with one high-profile example being his December 31, 1999 mosaic on the letter D of the Hollywood Sign marking the

Y2K bug The term year 2000 problem, or simply Y2K, refers to potential computer errors related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates in and after the year 2000. Many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two d ...

. During subsequent trips to Los Angeles, he also placed mosaics on the eight other letters of the sign. Paris remains a primary location for the artist's work; in June 2011, Invader marked the installation of his 1,000th work in Paris with an exhibition at La Générale entitled ''1000.'' Since 2000, he has also installed more than 70 pieces of work around Hong Kong. As of January 2020, Invader had created mosaics in 79 cities, with 3,858 Space Invaders comprising over 1.5 million ceramic tiles, and had published 24 "invasion maps." In 2012, Invader made a short film ''Art4Space'' documenting his attempt to launch one of his aliens into space on a modified

weather balloon A weather balloon, also known as a sounding balloon, is a balloon (specifically a type of high-altitude balloon) that carries instruments to the stratosphere to send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind spe ...

. Invader also makes QR code mosaics using black and white tiles. The patterns can be easily decoded using standard QR reader smartphone apps; one such message, when decoded, reads, "This is an invasion." Invader installations have become desirable collectors' pieces, to the point where some works have been stolen off of the walls upon which they were installed.

Identity

Multiple sources have identified Franck Slama as Invader. Invader works incognito, often masked and largely at night. To guard his anonymity on camera during interviews, he pixellates his own image or wears a mask. He claims that only a few people know his real name and his face and that his parents think he works as a tiler in the construction industry.

Modus operandi

Invader sees himself as a "hacker" of public space spreading a mosaic "virus". He believes that museums and galleries are not accessible to everyone, and so installs his work at street level for ordinary people to enjoy on a daily basis. The sites for his mosaics are often chosen for their visibility, local interest and symbolism. No two pieces are alike. Cannon street mosaic

Although many of his works feature his signature aliens, Invader's repertoire of subjects also includes ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

'' characters, the Pink Panther,

Mega Man ''Mega Man'' (known as in Japan) is a video game franchise developed and published by Capcom, featuring the Mega Man (character), protagonist of the same name. The Mega Man (1987 video game), original game was released for the Nintendo Enter ...

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

, Hong Kong Phooey, Thomas from '' Kung-Fu Master'' and

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar. with the actual installations taking at least a week. The mosaics are mapped, catalogued and photographed to indicate their locations within a city; using this data, the artist then prints and distributes city "invasion maps". Smartphone users can also hunt for mosaics globally using the "FlashInvaders" app. In

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, locations were chosen so that, when plotted on a map, they form an image of a giant ''Space Invaders'' alien. More recently, Invader has adopted strategies to avoid the removal of his works. Since the 2010s, when his works became highly sought-after by art collectors and theft became a real concern, he has begun to choose sites that are more difficult to reach and to create larger works with more delicate tiles that cannot be removed without damaging the piece. He has also taken steps against legal action; in late 2015, while planning another "invasion" in New York City, he put out a call on social media for building owners who would be willing to host his mosaics legally.

Rubikcubism

Since 2004, Invader has also created a series of works, typically for indoor display, exclusively using Rubik's Cubes (a style the artist calls "Rubikcubism," a play on the

Cubist Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement which began in Paris. It revolutionized painting and the visual arts, and sparked artistic innovations in music, ballet, literature, and architecture. Cubist subjects are analyzed, broke ...

art movement of the early 20th century). Using a computer program, the artist works out the precise distribution of the six colors on a Rubik's Cube required to achieve the desired image; he then manipulates one side of each Rubik's Cube to reach the required pattern. Stacking the cubes eventually produces a full image, which is then glued to a backing board. Each piece is typically composed of approximately 300 cubes, measures about , and weighs approximately , though the exact dimensions depend on the subject and the level of detail. The works are organized into three series: "Bad Men," comprising portraits of famous villains such as

Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden (10 March 19572 May 2011) was a militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, Bin Laden participated in the Afghan ''mujahideen'' against the Soviet Union, and support ...

, Jaws and

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...

; "Masterpieces," which reproduces famous paintings by artists such as Delacroix,

Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

Seurat Georges Pierre Seurat ( , ; ; 2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891) was a French post-Impressionist artist. He devised the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism and used conté crayon for drawings on paper with a rough ...

, and Lichtenstein; and "Low Fidelity," based on iconic album art such as '' Country Life'', ''

The Velvet Underground & Nico ''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground and the German singer Nico. Released by Verve Records in March 1967, the album underperformed in sales and polarized critics upon releas ...

'', and ''

Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a Record label#Major versus independent record labels, major label an ...

''. Among the images Invader has created using this technique are those of the Mona Lisa and the Dalai Lama; he received particular attention for a 2005 portrait of Florence Rey.

Reception

Invader has had solo exhibitions at art galleries in Paris,

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Rome and Lyon a
Galerie de Bellecour
(no
Michali Gallery
Palm Beach; exhibition for which he created the famous "Rubik Mona Lisa"). He has exhibited works at the 6th Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale (2001), the MAMA Gallery in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

(2002), the Paris-based Magda Danysz Gallery (2003), the Borusan Center for Culture and Arts in Istanbul, Subliminal Projects in Los Angeles (2004), and Lazarides in London (2011). In 2010, he was included in the

Banksy Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist, and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive ep ...

documentary '' Exit Through the Gift Shop'', filmed by fellow urban artist Thierry Guetta (AKA Mr. Brainwash), whom Invader has claimed is his cousin. In 2011, he took part in "Art in the Streets, a MoCA LA show at the Geffen Contemporary curated by Jeffrey Deitch. His work, when sold in galleries, can fetch six-figure sums. Fellow street artist

Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989, he designed the " Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campa ...

wrote in '' Swindle'':

Invader's pop art may seem shallow, but by taking the risk of illegally re-contextualizing video game characters in an urban environment that provides more chaotic social interaction than a gamer's bedroom, he makes a statement about the desensitizing nature of video games and consumer culture. In a postmodern paradox, a game like Grand Theft Auto takes the danger of the streets and puts it in a safe video game, while Invader takes a safe video game icon and inserts it into the danger of the streets.

During an early 2014 "invasion" in Hong Kong comprising a total of 48 works, the city's Highways Department removed the life-sized ''Hong Kong Phooey'' (HK 58) mosaic, which had been placed by the side of a road in

Fortress Hill Fortress Hill or Pau Toi Shan () is a hill and an neighbourhood, area on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Fortress Hill includes the western part of North Point lying west of Oil Street, and the eastern part of Causeway Bay. ...

. This angered local residents, who saw the removal as an example of the government only paying lip-service to promoting the arts in the city. In early 2015, a replica of the mosaic reached HK$1.96 million ($250,000) at auction at Sotheby's. NY145, featuring an invader and an old Apple Computer icon, sold for HK$562,500 ($72,000). A solo exhibition of new and retrospective works – called ''Wipe Out'' – was held in Hong Kong in May 2015 in association with the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation and Le French May. In 2017, following an "invasion" in Ravenna, Italy (famed for its ancient mosaics), Invader installed a series of vegetarian-themed works in the "Veggietown" neighborhood of Paris (9th and 10th arr.) as a show of support for vegan restaurants.

Publications

*''L'Invasion de Paris: Livre 01, la Genése.'' Paris: Invader, 2003. By Invader. . With text by Invader in French with English translation. *''Invasion Los Angeles: Invasion Guide 2: Los Angeles / Mission Hollywood.'' Paris: Invader, 2004. By Invader. . With text by Invader in French with English translation. Edition of 2000 copies. *''Invasion in the UK: London, Manchester, Newcastle: Invasion Guide 3.'' Paris: Invader, 2008. . With text by Invader in French with English translation. *''L'Invasion de Paris: 1000.'' Control P, 2013. . 2 Volumes. Text in French and English. *''Mission Miami: Art4Space Project: Invasion Guide 5.'' Control P, 2013. . *''Wipeout in Hong Kong: Invasion Guide 6.'' Control P, 2015. *''Invasion Los Angeles'' (Control P Editions, 2018), introduction and English translation by Bruno Blum.

References

External links

* *
"In Bed With Invader"
Raphael Haddad on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Invader 1969 births Living people French graffiti artists French contemporary artists Pseudonymous artists Guerrilla artists