“This is an invasion.” The message is clear. It is spelled out in black and white tiles. The Space Invader stands here as a testament to street art. It is art that is accessible to everyone. Museums are not the only places for art.
The Space Invader is part of a global phenomenon. The French street artist Invader is the creator. He is known for his mosaic tile art. These mosaics are modeled on the pixelated art of 1970s and 1980s video games.
Invader’s work features aliens from Space Invaders. He also uses Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros. These characters inspire his pseudonym. As of 2020, his creations appeared in 79 cities. These cities spanned 20 countries.
Invader publishes books and maps. These guides show the locations of his mosaics. He also makes mosaics using QR codes. Some mosaics use stacks of Rubik’s Cubes. The Rubik’s Cubes are usually installed indoors.
Invader graduated from a Parisian École des Beaux-Arts. He drew inspiration from video games. He played these games growing up in the 1970s and 80s. The tiles represent the pixels. They mimic the games’ 8-bit graphics. Invader began making mosaics in Paris in the 1990s. He then installed mosaics in 31 other cities in France.
Invader has staged invasions worldwide. He invaded New York City seven times. Hong Kong has seen at least three invasions. He often installs mosaics in important locations. One example is the Hollywood Sign. He placed a mosaic on the letter D on December 31, 1999. This marked the Y2K bug. He later placed mosaics on the other eight letters.
Paris is a primary location for his work. In June 2011, Invader marked his 1,000th work in Paris. He held an exhibition at La Générale. Since 2000, he has installed over 70 pieces in Hong Kong. By January 2020, Invader had created mosaics in 79 cities. There are 3,858 Space Invaders. They comprise over 1.5 million ceramic tiles. He has published 24 invasion maps.
In 2012, Invader made a short film. It is called Art4Space. It documents his attempt to launch an alien into space. He used a modified weather balloon.
Invader also makes QR code mosaics. These use black and white tiles. Standard QR reader apps can decode them. One message reads, “This is an invasion.”
Invader installations are desirable. Some works have been stolen. They are taken off the walls.
Franck Slama has been identified as Invader. Invader works incognito. He is often masked. He often works at night. He pixellates his image in interviews. He wears a mask. Only a few people know his real name. His parents think he is a tiler.
Invader sees himself as a hacker. He spreads a mosaic virus in public spaces. He believes museums are not accessible to everyone. He installs his work at street level. This allows ordinary people to enjoy it daily.
The sites for his mosaics are chosen carefully. He considers visibility and local interest. He also looks at symbolism. No two pieces are alike.
Many works feature his signature aliens. Invader’s subjects also include Star Wars characters. He uses the Pink Panther and Mega Man. Spider-Man, Hong Kong Phooey, and Popeye also appear. The subject matter is often themed. It adapts to a particular location. Sites near banks might have dollar sign mosaics. Those in Hong Kong often have an oriental theme.
Each invasion takes about two or three weeks. Installations take at least a week. The mosaics are mapped. They are cataloged and photographed. This indicates their locations. The artist prints city invasion maps. Smartphone users can hunt for mosaics using the FlashInvaders app.
More recently, Invader has adopted strategies. He wants to avoid the removal of his works. He chooses hard-to-reach sites. He creates larger works. These use more delicate tiles. These cannot be removed without damage. In late 2015, he sought building owners. He wanted them to legally host his mosaics in New York City.
Since 2004, Invader has created works using Rubik’s Cubes. He calls this Rubikcubism. He uses a computer program. This finds the distribution of colors needed. He manipulates each cube. He then stacks the cubes. This produces a full image. He glues it to a backing board.
The works are organized into series. Bad Men features villains. Masterpieces reproduces famous paintings. Low Fidelity is based on album art. Images include the Mona Lisa.