Before everything starts, we check in at the Hotel Alter Gerichtshof, where we will spend the night. The hotel has a very cozy and welcoming atmosphere, with a traditional and antique-inspired interior with a modern twist. The host is a smiling, positive woman; we immediately know we will have a pleasant stay. On our way to meet others, we pass through the main square, where a flea market is happening next to the “Rathaus” (town hall), and a wedding is about to start.
At 1 o’clock, the press conference began, after which we had the opportunity to ask Nychos a few questions. The press conference took place behind the police headquarters in Hartberg. Nychos, who took the initiative to organize this festival, has his work displayed on the wall of the Hartberg police station, a symbolic gesture since Nychos was caught by the police twenty years ago while painting a wall in Graz. As he says, it is an experience that comes full circle – from prohibition to a space like this.
This festival has positioned Hartberg at the center of the international and ever-growing street art community. Hartberg has now become a household name within this community.
How did the idea come up to paint in Hartberg?
Nychos: I am originally from here; I also lived in Graz, where I started painting graffiti. After that, I moved to Vienna, lived there for a long time, and left for California. Everything was always driven by my development as an artist. I returned to Hartberg to see my parents and family, and Hartberg is a very nice, peaceful place. Last year, I celebrated my fortieth birthday here and invited some of my friends from abroad. Some people came from Brazil and even further away, and we had an idea: if they were already here, why wouldn’t they also paint murals? The mayor of Hartberg thought it was a great idea, and he showed me the walls we could paint. I have a good relationship with Montana Cans, so we quickly had a good amount of spray paint, and it became a spray party, which almost developed into a festival last year already. It was very well received in Hartberg, and now we are expanding the festival concept.
How many murals are now in Hartberg at the moment?
Nychos: Currently, are 31 murals on display, and we eagerly anticipate more to come.
The guided tour is conducted by Alexander Hertel, and it begins with the work of Treazy & Sydney from Australia. Their work spreads across the curvy wall around the entrance of the public underground parking, and as with all the other locations, this one is highly visible both from the car and by walking. They kindly talk us through their process and explain the work in detail. They were mainly inspired by the nature around them and conveyed a message of love and care. The second stop is Nychos‘ work on the police station wall—a mural that presents the history of Hartberg, done in an intuitive and free-hand manner in Nychos‘ usual well-known style.
We continue the walk with the group towards the outdoor pool, where we see a significant “illusion” mural inspired by language and minimalism in the street art world by ROIDS from England on the wall of Alter Bauhof. We are lucky to be there when he is present, so in addition to Hertel’s great input, we also hear the artist’s perspective. We are fortunate to catch DXTR from Germany working on his piece that leaves a big impression on everyone: the wall of the “Polytechnische Schule Hartberg”, a mural inspired by the digital world of pixels and the tale of Alice in Wonderland. He played with the topic of the white rabbit, as all participants did to some extent.
Around the corner, opposite Hartberg Stadium where young people are playing a game. On the wall of Hartberg Middle School and Sports Middle School with an IT focus, we see something different: a large-scale rabbit painted with brushes in an abstract landscape by ONUR, an artist from Switzerland famous also for his paintings in oil on canvas. After a bit longer walk, we stand in front of the hyper-detailed and very illustration-inspired work on the topic of Krampus by the famous Lauren YS from the USA.
The last two murals are by artists from Mexico; the first one, on the big yellow building on the main road heading to Hauptbahnhof, is by Smithe, who depicts a human-machine-like figure in bright colors; and the last one, after an hour-and-a-half-long walk, is by Seher. We caught him painting the finishing details of his work, and we talked about the symbols in his work. When the tour is done, we are going to find a place to have dinner and for that, we are talking with locals and getting a nice recommendation. Until next year!
WHITE RABBIT STREET ART FESTIVAL
Monday, 10 June 2024 – Sunday, 16 June 2024
You can find more information about the festival here: www.steiermark.com
