Invader

The ghosts from the arcade game Pac-Man. A mosaic by Invader in Bilbao (BBO 24–27), near the Guggenheim Museum. 2008

Invader is a pseudonymous French street artist. He is known for his ceramic tile mosaics modeled on the pixelated art of 1970s–1980s 8-bit video games, many of which depict the titular aliens from the arcade games Space Invaders, Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros. (the inspirations for his pseudonym). , his creations can be seen in highly visible locations in 79 cities in 20 countries. To accompany his citywide installations, or "Invasions", Invader publishes books and maps as guides to the locations of his mosaics.

Invader also makes mosaics using QR codes and stacks of Rubik's Cubes (with the latter typically installed indoors).

History

Identity Multiple sources have identified Franck Slama as Invader. Invader works incognito, often masked and largely at night. In Montpellier, locations were chosen so that, when plotted on a map, they form an image of a giant Space Invaders alien. He has also taken steps against legal action; in late 2015, while planning another "invasion" in New York City, he put out a call on social media for building owners who would be willing to host his mosaics legally.

Rubikcubism Since 2004, Invader has also created a series of works, typically for indoor display, exclusively using Rubik's Cubes (a style the artist calls "Rubikcubism," a play on the Cubist art movement of the early 20th century). London, Rome and Lyon at Galerie de Bellecour (now Michali Gallery, Palm Beach; exhibition for which he created the famous "Rubik Mona Lisa"). He has exhibited works at the 6th Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale (2001), the MAMA Gallery in Rotterdam (2002), the Paris-based Magda Danysz Gallery (2003), in London (2011).

In 2010, he was included in the Banksy documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, filmed by fellow urban artist Thierry Guetta (AKA Mr. Brainwash), whom Invader has claimed is his cousin. the city's Highways Department removed the life-sized Hong Kong Phooey (HK 58) mosaic, which had been placed by the side of a road in Fortress Hill. This angered local residents, who saw the removal as an example of the government only paying lip-service to promoting the arts in the city. NY145, featuring an invader and an old Apple Computer icon, sold for HK$562,500 ($72,000). A solo exhibition of new and retrospective works – called Wipe Out – was held in Hong Kong in May 2015 in association with the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation and Le French May.

In 2017, following an "invasion" in Ravenna, Italy (famed for its ancient mosaics), Invader installed a series of vegetarian-themed works in the "Veggietown" neighborhood of Paris (9th and 10th arr.) as a show of support for vegan restaurants.

Publications

L'Invasion de Paris: Livre 01, la Genése. Paris: Invader, 2003. By Invader. . With text by Invader in French with English translation. Invasion Los Angeles: Invasion Guide 2: Los Angeles / Mission Hollywood. Paris: Invader, 2004. By Invader. . With text by Invader in French with English translation. Edition of 2000 copies. Invasion in the UK: London, Manchester, Newcastle: Invasion Guide 3. Paris: Invader, 2008. . With text by Invader in French with English translation. L'Invasion de Paris: 1000. Control P, 2013. . 2 Volumes. Text in French and English. Mission Miami: Art4Space Project: Invasion Guide 5. Control P, 2013. . Wipeout in Hong Kong: Invasion Guide 6. Control P, 2015. Invasion Los Angeles (Control P Editions, 2018), introduction and English translation by Bruno Blum.