INVADER and his works around the world
Invader is a French artist born in the 1970s. He studied at L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts (famous art school) in Paris and specialized in urban mosaics. His first mosaic was installed in the Bastille district in Paris in 1996, it is a Space Invader which he nicknamed “the scout”, but it was actually two years later that the invasion would really begin. At this stage, he created and displayed in all the cities of the world, usually in strategic places where it could be seen by all, but we also find his mosaics far from the big cities (as for example in Forcalquier, La Ciotat, …) or in unusual places such as at the bottom of the bay of Cancun, where in 2007, two works were deposited. One of his “space2” works even went into space aboard the Ariane 5 rocket to be installed on board the International Space Station.
His mosaics evolved over time, we no longer find only extraterrestrials (Spaces Invaders) but real characters, imaginary characters or objects (fish, an octopus, the pink panther, Woody Allen, etc …). His works are unique and are referenced in a database and mapped by the artist himself. Like many Urban Art Artists, his works are often installed quickly and without permission, usually at night. Like Banksy, he wishes to remain anonymous and appears most of the time wearing a mask or disguised (Some of his “anonymous” outfits can be found at the exhibition “Invader was here” at MaMo).
The “invasion” is now spreading all over the world and Marseille is the 2nd largest French city to have been “colonized”.
There are now 3,954 Space Invaders throughout the world.
