French, discreet, and a pixel enthusiast, In The Woup is one of those street artists who prefer to communicate with ceramic tiles rather than spray cans. His playground? The entire world. His medium? Mosaic. His obsession? Mario. But not the Mario you think...
🎮 The Mario Worldz Project: when Mario becomes everyone
What if Mario Bros had more costumes? Like… a lot more. This simple but brilliant question is at the origin of the Mario Worldz Project, an artistic project as ambitious as it is joyful, led by In The Woup.
His idea? To take Mario's iconic 8-bit sprite and transform it into characters from pop culture, across all universes: video games, manga, cult films, comics, series, news, vintage icons, or even improbable nods.
The result: more than 400 crossovers already created, all made in mosaic, pixel by pixel, by hand, and installed all over the world.
👦 Raised on Club Dorothée and Super Nintendo
Born in France, In The Woup grew up in the 90s. He is part of a generation immersed in the rich universes of Club Dorothée, Super Nintendo, Dragon Ball, knights, superheroes, giant robots, and plumbers in overalls.
Early on, he developed a passion for these cultural icons that populated his childhood, and decided to pay homage to them in his own way, with Mario as a starting point, visual reference, and infinite creative canvas.
🧱 From the street to international: one pixel at a time
Each custom Mario is meticulously assembled in mosaic then placed in the street, on a wall, a pole, a forgotten facade. Both a wink and a work of art, each installation becomes a micro-surprise for passers-by.
And it travels! In The Woup's works are now found in countries as diverse as France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the United States, India, Canada, Croatia, and even the Sultanate of Oman.
🌍 An infinite tribute to geek culture
What is striking about his project is the freedom of tone and the generosity of inspiration. A Mario as Astro Boy? As Gandalf? As Pikachu, Darth Vader, or Totoro? Anything is possible, as long as the homage is sincere.
In The Woup draws from literature, manga, cinema, games, and news, without hierarchy or snobbery. His culture is one of patchwork and passion.
✨ And this is just the beginning…
With over 400 Mario-skins already to his name, In The Woup doesn't intend to stop there. Each new work is one more small pixel on a vast expanding canvas. A world map where each mosaic tile tells a different story, rooted in our collective imagination.
So next time you come across a strange and familiar Mario, frozen on a wall, look closer: he's probably wearing a costume by In The Woup.
Find all information about the Mario Worldz Project on the artist's website: https://inthewoup.com/mario-worldz-project/ and his Instagram @InTheWoup
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