Invader

At the crossroads of a street, in France or abroad, it's possible that you've already come across one of those colourful mosaics depicting characters from video games on a facade. Space Invader is a French street artist whose quest for artworks resembles a giant game spanning the globe. In 2014, the artist launched the FlashInvaders app, which involves photographing each spotted mosaic. A growing enthusiasm fueled by a community of around 300,000 players.

WHO IS SPACE INVADER?

Born in 1969, Space Invader is a French street artist famous for his creations inspired by 1980s video games. Space Invader's works mainly consist of pixelated mosaics representing aliens from the eponymous game Space Invaders.

Since the early 2000s, Space Invader has spread his artistic interventions across cities worldwide, leaving behind immediately recognisable colourful imprints. The artist, whose identity remains largely secret, has contributed to redefining the urban landscape and giving it a playful dimension.

Describing himself as an AVNI (Unidentified Living Artist), he keeps his face hidden during his performances.

PIXELATED MASTERPIECES OF 8-BIT GAMES

After studying at the Fine Arts School of Rouen, Space Invader launched his flagship project, called Space Invader, in 1998. In the nascent era of the Internet, Invader drew inspiration from computer pixelation, transforming images into pixelated mosaics of 8-bit video game characters from the 1970s-1980s.

The name references the classic "invaders" from the 1978 video game Space Invaders, and much of his work consists of ceramic tiles organised in a mosaic inspired by this game, as well as others from the same era, notably Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros.

INVADER'S STREET ARTWORKS ACROSS THE WORLD

Freeing these figures from the virtual world, Space Invader invades the streets of Paris and other global metropolises. With over 3000 installations in 60 cities, Space Invader creates "Invasion Maps" to track his interventions, engaging the public in a photographic search game.

Infused with a retro-futuristic aesthetic, Space Invaders' pixelated mosaics transform urban facades into open-air art galleries. From Paris to Tokyo, New York to London, Space Invader's creations weave into the urban fabric, amusing passersby who seek to photograph and enlarge their collection.

SPACE INVADER INVADING THE PUBLIC SPACE

As we've discussed, you can find Space Invaders' pixelated mosaics in almost every big city: Paris, Tokyo, New York, London, Seoul, and even under the sea in the Bay of Cancún ! "These iconic pixel effigies are a symbol for the global upheaval brought about by digital technologies” says the French professor Julie Gaillard about Space Invader's "invaders".

The goal of the original retro video game from which Invader takes its name is to destroy and push back aliens to prevent them from invading the Earth. The artist Space Invader, in his case, has helped the original creatures of the game, as well as other video game characters, to invade our Earth and our streets. Nonetheless, Space Invader's '"invaders" from the eponymous Space Invaders stays his primary mark of fabric.

Space Invader's art is so iconic that other individuals have took to the street and made their own Invaders and their own mosaic, which makes the search for the "real" invaders even more interesting... Each Invader mosaic is unique and is catalogued in the FlashInvaders app, but the creation of new mosaics of other video game characters by Invader's fans proves that his impact on the art world as well as the collective imaginary is immense.

SPACE INVADER'S WORK IN EXHIBITION

Despite Space Invader's works having gained popularity for being accessible by simply looking around you when you walk in the street, Invader has recently opened a temporary museum to exhibit over a hundred original artworks. Taking over 3500 m² on 9 floors in a Parisian building, Invader Space Station displays photographs, as well as various sculptures, videos and installations, truly digging deep in Invader's artistic world.

SPACE INVADER ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Space Invader, given his legendary anonymous street artist status, is particularly active on social media, especially on Instagram. @invaderwashere, Space Invader's account, is followed by more than 700 000 people, and is updated every few days with new pictures of Space Invader's exhibitions or new installations, along with a few hints on where they might be... If you want to be one of the first people to find one of Space Invader's "invaders" and fill it in the FlashInvaders app, Space Invader's social media account is the perfect place for you!

COLLECT SPACE INVADER'S ARTWORKS FOR SALE ON RISE ART

Sculptures, collages, original limited editions: many artworks signed by Space Invader are available for purchase on Rise Art, notably his famous invaders. If you are interested in getting signed original works by Invader, Rise Art is a great place to look. You can also discover an exceptional collection of works celebrating French urban art, and admire how much Invader has influenced the urban art scene.