Known for establishing graffiti as a credible visual art form, street artist Falko has embarked on a road trip across the country, using his talent to change perceptions.
Far away from the bright lights of the city lies many a dorpie, village and township, dappled across the South African landscape. In an ambitious journey across the country, world-renowned graffiti artist Falko is changing the locals’ perception of value through his latest project, titled Once Upon a Town, by adding his artwork to their homes … one small town at a time.
See the trailer: http://www.redbull.com/za/en/events/1331722605402/once-upon-a-town
Falko is widely regarded as an integral part of the South African graffiti scene and has had the opportunity to travel around the world through his work. He is now zoned in on exploring the country through his art form.
Small towns are the backbone
“In the greater scheme of things, small towns are kinda the backbone of the country – where the things that keep our country running like the agriculture and mining take place. I want to explore South Africa and make use of our geographies, people and infrastructure or the lack thereof. We’ve got everything here to make our work exciting and desirable. All it takes is some vision,” he says.
The idea for Once Upon a Town came from a weeklong project Falko was doing in Delft. “Every day after the programme was done I painted a small piece on one of the homes in the street I was in. I saw a change in how the area looked after a few days and the locals were anticipating something from me daily. That really planted the seed for this project,” he says.
Falko has already visited Riebeek West (Western Cape) and Garies (Northern Cape) and the response is usually the same: People welcome him into their community, offering him money for his artwork, cooldrinks and the odd braai. “It’s simple – I’m nice to them and they want to return the kindness.”
Follow Falko’s journey on Red Bull TV: www.redbull.co.za/onceuponatown
WS
