POSTED BY

Brandon Boyer

AT 7:47 AM
Thursday March 12, 2009

Art

Invasion in progress: video of Space Invader's 763rd Paris invasion

Chances are you've at least casually happened across the work of Space Invader before -- the Parisian guerrilla artist has been devising his worldwide mosiac invasions for over a decade now, but, via Extermitent, we get a rare glimpse actually catching him in the act.

The slick editing makes it unclear how caught in the act he actually was: that would appear to be French authorities escorting him away from the Montreuil A3 freeway scene of the crime, but it ends with the plus-large result intact.

I've got my own set of invasion photos from around Paris and London via my Flickr, where you'll also find some unartful snapshots of one of his first U.S. gallery installations. I dropped by the locale in 2004, and only slowly did it dawn on me that I was actually inside now astoundingly renowned Hope/Obama artist Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One (the Obey Giant switchplate cover finally tipped me off). Fairey wasn't in that day, but I did get a quick thrill talking to the other staffers and getting to nose around the rest of the facilities.

Space Invader home [via Extermitent]

3 Comments

mdh

#1 – 12:51 PM March 12, 2009

You know I really like it
I know I’ll always be here
You know it makes my heart beat
You know I’m happy up here

Mr_Staypuft

#2 – 7:03 PM March 12, 2009

Brandon, I'm not sure if I found the video editing "slick" - I actually found it quite tiring on the eyes! Do other Offworlders feel the same way?

I love "Space Invaders" artwork though. Creating early game characters out of tiles/mosaics is quite inspired. (Just wait till I redo our bathroom.) ;-)

@MDH: Haha, nice work!

If anyone missed the reference, MDH is quoting lyrics from a song "Happy up Here" by Norwegian group Röyksopp.

Why that song?

The music video has some very cool "real life" Space Invaders action. My recent blog post has further details, and a youtube clip.
It's great to see these iconic characters living on in such creative ways. Wonderful stuff.

Rezorrand

#3 – 12:51 AM March 13, 2009

Yes, very tiring for the eyes. But still neat.

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