The London International Paste-up Festival: A Celebration of Street Art Culture

In a city renowned for its vibrant street art, the London International Paste-up Festival (LIPF) has emerged as a fresh player. An exciting new addition. Carving a niche for an art form often overlooked. The humble paste-up. Now in its fourth year, the festival seeks to raise the profile of paste-ups. A form of street art that, despite its rich history, tends to fly under the radar.

What Is Paste-up Art?

Paste-ups typically involve paper-based artworks adhered to walls or other public surfaces using an adhesive paste. The method itself is quick and easy to execute. It enables artists to cover large spaces in a short time. It’s ideal for artists looking to challenge or contribute to the urban visual landscape. Paste-ups can be anything from simple text-based posters to complex, multi-layered images. Often they are created ahead of time in a studio before finding their way to the streets.

Room to Experiment

While graffiti and murals tend to dominate the street art scene, paste-ups offer a unique space for experimentation. Their transience gives artists a license to be bold. It allows them to be thought-provoking and even fleeting. Artists know that their work might vanish overnight under a new layer of urban life.

The Rise of the London International Paste-Up Festival

Founded four years ago by Apparan, the art director at Art House Project. The London International Paste-up Festival aims to bring greater attention to this often underappreciated medium. Each year, the festival has experienced a growing number of participants. It gives a dedicated space to share their work and to exchange ideas. For the 2024 festival it allowed for collaboration with almost 300 paste-up artists.

Changing Spaces

The festival transforms ordinary urban spaces into open-air galleries. Walls and alleyways are plastered in a dizzying array of styles, messages and colours. From politically charged statements to surreal and abstract designs. The LIPF brings together a diverse mix of voices, all united through the same medium.

In previous editions, it has featured the work of London Police, WRDSMTH, and StinkFish. It has also showcased the work of Donk, Mr Edwards, and RX Skulls. Other featured artists include Planet Selfie, Quint, The Postman, and D7606.

What Makes the Festival Special?

The London International Paste-up Festival isn’t just a gathering of artists. It’s a celebration of a movement. LIPF stays true to the underground roots of paste-ups. It allows the streets themselves to become the canvas. It means the art remains accessible to everyone. Pedestrians, tourists, and residents alike are treated to a living, evolving exhibition as they walk through the city.

Bringing Together

LIPF also emphasizes key values such as collaboration and inclusivity. Artists from different countries, cultures, and creative backgrounds share space on the same walls. They collage their work in a dialogue that can only happen in a public, urban environment. The results are often stunning. They consist of unexpected juxtapositions of imagery and meaning. These would never occur in a more controlled or commercial setting.

Challenges and Triumphs

Of course, like all street art, paste-ups are inherently temporary. Part of the charm and challenge of the LIPF is knowing that these works won’t last forever. Weather, other artists, or even city cleaners can remove them just as quickly as they appeared. But this impermanence is also a powerful metaphor for the festival’s mission. It speaks to the transient nature of urban life. It highlights the ongoing battle for space and visibility in a world that often devalues creativity.

Getting Noticed

Over the past four years, the London International Paste-up Festival has grown in stature. Gathering attention from other street art festivals starting to include paste-ups in their events. Supporting other paste-up gatherings and festivals around the world and, most importantly, the general public. By creating a platform for paste-up artists, LIPF continues to raise awareness of this dynamic art form. It challenges traditional notions of where art belongs. It also questions who it is for.

What’s Next?

As the LIPF looks towards its future, it’s clear that paste-up art is more than just a passing trend. In the hands of these artists, the paste-up becomes a vehicle for commentary, resistance, and beauty. A way to reclaim public space and make the city itself an artwork.

If you are wandering…

If you find yourself wandering the streets of Brick Lane, keep an eye out for the pasted remnants of the artists’ imaginations. These are ephemeral, but powerfully present in the urban landscape. Look for multidisciplinary performances and urban art experiences. For a moment, the city is theirs—and yours.

Collaborative Spirit

With its DIY ethos, collaborative spirit, and commitment to keeping art in public hands, the London International Paste-up Festival is more than an event. It’s a statement. It has a DIY ethos. It promotes a collaborative spirit. Most importantly, it is committed to keeping art in public hands. As it continues to grow, so too does the recognition. People are beginning to see that paste-ups are a legitimate, vibrant part of street art culture. It’s not just about raising the profile of this art form. It’s about giving people a new way to see the world around them, one paste-up at a time.

The author Apparan is the founder of ‘The London International Paste-Up Festival‘ and Art Director of the ‘Art House Project‘. This year’s event took place at various locations in the area of Brick Lane and Shoreditch. It ran over the weekend of 13-15 September 2024. All photos in this post are courtesy of the London International Paste Up Festival unless otherwise noted.

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