One man, one name, repeated a thousand times: for a graffiti writer, his own lettering is identity, signature and work all at once.
Obsessed with Letters
For years, Basel-based graffiti writer and street artist Smash137 has had a lasting influence on the international writing scene with his style. Smash137 is obsessed with letters. Driven by his passion for Western calligraphy, he is one of the most active writers in the world, and his lettering adorns many an object in public space, from New York to Moscow. With One Man Show, we present his first solo exhibition in Germany.
Name and Sponge
In January 2008, for the exhibition Urban Feedbacks in Basel, Smash137 created an installation that ironically stages the reality of a writer's life: he sprayed his name in black onto more than 2,500 cleaning sponges mounted on a wall. Now he is realising a similar work at Pretty Portal. The sponges allude to the reaction of angry property owners who want to remove the annoying "scribbles" as quickly and thoroughly as possible. At the same time, the sponge can be read as a symbol of the transience of the work and the finitude that comes with it.
"One Man Show"
Smash137
Opening
Friday, 16 May 2008, 7 pm
Exhibition
16 May – 20 June 2008
Pretty Portal
Brunnenstraße 12
40223 Düsseldorf
Note (2026): Since the early 2010s, Smash137's work has evolved from a graffiti-based calligraphic style into colourful, gestural abstract painting in which single letters become powerful signs. Today, he is also internationally successful under his real name, Adrian Falkner.
