Ljubljana has been under a special six-month long invasion. In late December 2020, Tivoli Mansion: International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) opened an exhibition ‘Invader: Prints on Paper’. French urban artist, Invader, world-renowned for his ceramic tile mosaics modelated on the pixelated art of 1970—1980’s video games depicting the titular aliens from the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders, has alreday been exhibited in Slovenia’s capital in 2006. Now, after 15 years, he is back in the capital city of Slovenia, for, as he says himself »a second wave of invasion and a solo show at MGLC.« The exhibition is, according to the MGLC, a huge success as it is attracting large numbers of French visitors and numerous collectors from all over the world. As a lot of his work is being quickly sold, we suggest you visit the exhibition as soon as possible if you want your personal Space Invader on print.
The invasion of Ljubljana wave2 counts 22 new mosaics in addition to the 20 first ones he had installed back in 2006. »As it is the symbol of the city, I have chosen the dragon as a common thread of this invasion,« says Invader on his website. The exhibition Prints on Paper presents the totality of the fine art prints he has made within 20 years of his uncompromising work, creative passion, and commitment to the ethical principles of his medium and concept. With his work, he has helped to make street art an even more important part of contemporary art. He is a phenomenon in the world of street art, and he has become a global art star.
»The exhibition at the International Centre of Graphic Arts offers viewers the chance to experience the fragmentary nature, the diffuseness, and, from a global and conceptual perspective, the precise formulation of Invader’s artistic idea through his works on paper, by which he playfully and wittily weaves his web around the world,« says Božidar Zrinski, the curator of the exhibition set in Ljubljana, the destination of many charms, and its Tivoli Mansion that presides above the central Ljubljana’s Tivoli Park adorned with greenery and strolling paths.
Invader initially derived inspiration for his creations from the video games he played when he was growing up in the 1970s and 80s. Using tiles to represent the pixels in the games’ 8-bit graphics, Invader began making mosaics in Paris in the 1990s, and went on to install mosaics in 31 other cities in France. Invader works incognito, often masked and largely at night. Invader has staged “invasions” in cities and countries worldwide. He often installs mosaics in culturally and/or historically important locations with his fans being excited and looking for the new installations rising overnight.
He says he doesn’t have a message to deliver to the world and that he is 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.« The Ljubljana exhibition, including the selling of his art, is open to public until the 18th of May 2021.
 hosts an exhibition 'Invader: Prints on Paper' until 18 May 2021.){kind=link}