Bristol’s position at the leading edge of the creative industries will be boosted next week when it hosts the UK’s most ambitious permanent street art project.
Called See No Evil, it will turn unglamorous Nelson Street in the city centre into one of the world’s largest outdoor art exhibitions.
Facades of 10 buildings along the street will be painted by some of the biggest names in international street artists ready for a weekend of events starting on August 20.
Organisers hope it will mirror the success of a similar project in Melbourne, Australia, which attracts an estimated 450,000 visitors a year.
Bristol has long been known for its street art movement and those behind See No Evil say it will be an inspiring masterpiece and a legacy for the city.
Among the artists lined up are New York-based muralists Tats Cru, whose aerosol-based work is said to have changed the perception of graffiti as art, and LA artist El Mac, who has worked in cities across the world. These graffiti legends will join artists from Holland, Spain, Brazil and the UK, each bringing their distinctive styles to Bristol.
The event is a collaboration between street artist Inkie, who emerged out of Bristol’s 1980’s graffiti scene alongside Banksy, and Bristol music promoters Team Love and is being staged in association with Bristol City Council’s place-making director Mike Bennett, who said it will strengthen the city’s tourism, economic growth and culture.
Inkie said: “We have spent nearly 12 months negotiating and planning this major project, which will be the jewel in the crown of the city’s already buzzing art scene. We have invited some of the world’s most talented graffiti artists to bring their skills to the city, and we have a number of returning Bristolians to head up proceedings.
“Nothing of this size and scale has ever taken place in the UK and it’s an event that has captured the minds of some the world’s most-respected street artists. It’s a major coup that we’ve managed to pull this off in Bristol.”
Recognised pop-up urban art gallery Weapon of Choice will also be taking up residency in Nelson Street, creating the official See No Evil gallery. The exhibition will open on Thursday 18th August and run for three weeks showcasing original artwork, limited edition prints and clothing from a wide range of the artists taking part in the event, along with official 'See No Evil' merchandise.
This project will end with a free New York-style Block Party on Saturday August 20, which celebrates the best of Bristol’s art and music culture with live street painting and an outdoor stage.
Some of Bristol’s biggest music names will play street sets including DJ Nature (formally DJ Milo of Wild Bunch) and Greg Wilson. The event will also feature cartoon drawing, screen printing, tattooing, beat boxing, break dancing and street dressing with a mini garden area stretching along the length of Nelson Street. The party will last from noon until 9pm.
From Thursday to Saturday, major club promoters will take over Westgate, the landmark former Royal & Sun Alliance building which faces the Centre and was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect responsible for Battersea Power Station, Bankside Power station (now Tate Modern) and Britain’s iconic red phone boxes. The events will feature the best of Bristol music and art and include film and music previews with pop-up barber shops, live workshops and cocktail bars.
On Thursday, three short films made in association with the clothing brand Bench will be screened. The films focus on the cities Bench consider to be the most exciting and important for music in the world at present – Bristol, Detroit and Berlin. They will be followed by a party with several of the artists in the Bristol film.
On Friday, Crazylegs, voted best club night in Bristol last year, will host a party with a top line up of cutting-edge artists.
Saturday will be the Westgate block party after party, which will host a mixture of, what the organisers are calling, the great unsung heroes of Bristol’s nightlife scene – not just the big names but all the local residents who play around the city, week in week out, along with some of the best DJs that are part of the city’s thriving music community.
