The Hague Graffiti - from Tag to Art
The exhibition 'The Hague Graffiti - from Tag to Art', allows visitors to look through the eyes of the graffiti artist. It is the first exhibition ever dedicated to graffiti in The Hague, with more than 60 often never-before-seen photos and a collaboration with The Hague graffiti and stencil artist Marc Kersten. The exhibition can be viewed for free from 4 March to 3 June at De Galerij in the Tramtunnel near the Spui stop.
First exhibition Hague graffiti offers unique view of the city
In this exhibition visitors will be introduced to pieces, elaborate murals, tags, the graffiti artist's quick signature and unique blackbooks, the graffiti artists' sketchbooks, often full of photos, ideas for pieces, sketches and each other's tags. Extra special is the location; the Hague Tramtunnel fits the subject perfectly.
Art form from the 1980s
Graffiti is a street phenomenon that often goes unnoticed, but it is also impossible to imagine the contemporary street scene without it. It is an art form that is often perceived as vandalism or something ugly, but in the exhibition 'The Hague Graffiti - from Tag to Art' can be seen as a creative expression of young people from The Hague from the late 1980s onwards. In the process, they worked with different styles and created their own typography.
New meaning
To compile the exhibition, graffiti and stencil artist Marc Kersten used the Hague Municipal Archives' street name collection. In it, he searched for photos showing graffiti in streets. These are places where not many residents came and where graffiti artists made their work, often at the risk of their own lives. The exhibition gives these photos new meaning, as they were never originally made for the graffiti shown on them. It thus offers visitors a unique view of the city through the eyes of the graffiti artist.
About Marc Kersten
Marc Kersten is working on a book about the origins of graffiti in The Hague. He examines when writing on the walls started, places it in a social context and shows how this subculture continued to develop. The photos Marc has collected over the years for this are a combination of his own and those from the Hague Municipal Archives' image collection.
Call for stickers
Besides graffiti, stickers are also part of the exhibition. Because stickers can also be seen on the streets, often on signs and poles. Until 3 March, graffiti and street art stickers (in quadruplicate) can be handed in anonymously in the reading room of the Hague Municipal Archives. After the exhibition, the stickers will be included in the Haags Gemeentearchief as a special collection.