Artist Zoom: INVADER

Here is an exclusive and original interview of Invader, totally not made by us:

Who are you Invader? Where do you come from?

I define myself as an UFA, an Unidentified Free Artist. I chose Invader as my pseudonym and I always appear behind a mask. As such, I can visit my own exhibitions without any visitors knowing who I really am even if I stand a few steps away from them. Since 1998, I have developed a large scale project, code name: Space Invaders.

What is the Space Invaders project about?

It is first of all about liberating Art from its usual alienators that museums or institutions can be. But it is also about freeing the Space Invaders from their video games TV screens and to bring them in our physical world. Everything started the day I decided to give a material appearance to pixelization through ceramic tiles. I first wanted to create a series of "canvases" but I soon realised that tiles were the perfect material to display these pieces directly on the walls. I then had the idea of deploying my creatures on the walls of Paris and soon after in cities around the globe. Each of these unique pieces become the fragment of a tentacular installation.

What is your invasion strategy?  What are the rules of the game?

Little by little, I organised a detailed process by which I explore international densely populated urban areas and "invade" them. Usually, I try to display 20 to 50 pieces per city, which is already a good score. Sometimes I happen to return several times in the same city, deploying different “invasion waves” as I like to call them. The goal is to increase my score by continuously and restlessly invading new spaces. "Anytime, Anywhere" is the philosophy…I try to evolve and reinvent myself at all time while leading a precise and serious aesthetic invasion project.

Would you describe your work as Contemporary Art? As a Game? As Graffiti? As Street Art?

All of the above, and much more.

How many people are involved in this project?

I am surrounded by a small team in my studio, this is a very confidential operation. I know it is hard to believe but the space invaders project is the project of one single artist.

There are other people in Paris or elsewhere, who following their own path, have started to install mosaics in the street of their cities.

These totally independent initiatives are out of my control but it is nice to notice that in a certain way, I have started a movement.

Why did you choose the Space Invaders as a central figure for your project?

In my own eyes, they are the perfect icons of our time, a time where digital technologies are the heartbeat of our world.

As these creatures are made of pixels they are in some sorts ready-made for tile reproduction. Finally, their names are literally predestined for the project I have pioneered: they are “Space Invaders!”.

 Did Taito, the creator and owner of the “Space Invaders”, try any legal actions against you?

They have contacted me on several occasions but without really any prejudice. In a certain way, I work with them, not against them.

This said, my initial source of inspiration was the Space Invaders and a few other video games but I have rapidly developed new models and created totally original icons. My creatures are now quite detached from the four original Taito creatures. My universe is full of other references that complete my repertoire. For example, I recently created a Pink Panther, a Mona Lisa or a Peter Pan.

These new development have happened consistantly, throughout the years.

How do you chose the placement of your mosaics?

It is an essential part of the invasion and it is a very subjective decision. I need to identify the neuralgic points of the cities I visit. It takes a lot of time as it is a long scouting process. I often compare it as urban acupuncture.

How do you operate once in the streets?  Are the mosaics prepared in advance before being glued?

It depends. I have developed several techniques that allow me to adapt myself to different situations such as the time and the place of the invasion, the size of the mosaic, the height of the wall...in order to be the quickest and the most discrete possible.

How are the pieces fixed to the wall?  How do building owners react?

I use cement or extremely effective and innovative glues. Somes pieces are removed by unhappy owners or by cleaning companies but this is quite rare.

Do you have issues with police authorities?

Not always. Sometimes it even goes quite well as there are some police officers who recognise and enjoy my art.  Unfortunately, there are still cases where I am not welcomed. The owner of a gallery I worked with had to spend two weeks in jail being accused of supporting me. There are some countries where I cannot travel anymore as I maybe prosecuted.

Fortunately, this is only Art and I will not face the “death penalty” which would be the only sentence that would stop me from continuing my invasion project.

Is there a message behind your project?  Is it political?

I don’t have a message to deliver to the world and I am not openly political. The way I operate is per se already political as I intervene illegally for 99% of my installation. I am into artistic experimentation rather than political opposition. I like the concept of decontextualizing art to bring it to the streets, to surprise everyday people, while constantly creating new pieces. This project, I hope, will leave a print not only on the streets but also on the minds.

Are your mosaics being removed or stolen?

Lately, I have been facing this issue.  A large number of the pieces are removed, damaged or destroyed by individuals who seek to resell them. Given the type of tiles I use, to steal the work is impossible. These individuals by removing the mosaics destroy the piece and then have to buy ceramics to repair or recreate the work. They even try to add a patina to make it look vintage. They then try to sell these bad replicas! I have hard time believing that anyone would buy any unauthenticated mosaic tiles as people could simply go to home depot and do it by themselves …I can only hope that soon enough nobody will be tempted to buy or steal pieces in the streets and therefore that this nonsense and painful destruction will stop.

 Is there any trace of all the Space Invaders that have been installed?

Yes absolutely. I have created a database for every single art piece: pictures, date of birth, address and other info. It is now much easier with digital technologies. At the beginning I had to use quantities of photographic films, to write everything by hand with a city map and a small notebook.

How does the scoring system works? Do all the cities have their own score?

I give a score of 10 to 100 for every new piece installed. Every city has therefore its own score which is the sum of all the Space Invaders created on its walls.

What is the height of the highest Space Invader?

It is located 2362 meters above ground (about 7000 feet) at the arrival of the ski lift in the village of Anzère in Switzerland.

There is also of course SpaceOne, a mosaic that flew to the stratosphere at about 35 kilometres above ground (22 miles). Nevertheless, the highest one is now SPACE2 which is installed in the ISS (International Space Station) since 2015.

 And the lowest?

There are two of them. Only experienced scuba divers can see them as they are located well below sea level in the Cancun Bay in Mexico. They have been installed with the help of the Artist Jason deCaires on a series of his sculptures.

 Is it possible to own a Space Invader? How do people acquire one of your works?

The most economical solution is to buy tiles and to create your own at home. It is not a very difficult assembly work and it is possible to find similar types of tiles I use.The second solution is to purchase an "invasion kit". It is a ready-to-use limited edition of a Space Invader. They are produced at the studio and sold in the Space Shop. It is at the same time a conceptual and functional object. Finally, for people who wants a unique art piece, they can seek for an Alias, which is the exact replica of the unique work in the street. There is one and only Alias for any past or present works present in the streets. Every Alias comes with a signed certificate of authenticity. Art Collectors should contact Over The Influence for any available pieces.

Do you participate in institutional exhibitions, in museum or gallery shows?

Yes I have always combined works in urban spaces and works in institutions such as galleries or museums. I like to switch from one another. They are for me two very complimentary sources of energy.

Except for the Space Invaders mosaic tiles, do you create any other kind of works? Do you have other means of expression?

As you can see in the "More projects' section of the website, I like to invest myself in different fields and through different means. I have published books, I work with Rubik's Cubes, I direct movies, create sculptures and installations. I have manufactured sneakers that leave a stamp on the ground, built a smartphone app, or created waffles makers!

These projects are all important to me and are an integral part of my artistic universe.

Are you still very active in the streets?

Absolutely! Since the beginnings, there has been hardly any week that goes by without me installing a new piece.

A last few words?

Game is not Over !