56K
Ole Utikal alias 56K lives and works in Hamburg, his native town. Since the late 90ies he belongs to the active of the Hamburg underground-art-scene. His rooting in the graffiti culture is obvious, nevertheless, as an urban observer he refuses to be sorted into categories like Street Art or Post Graffiti – although it is always the public sphere that catches his eye just as well as everything that we like to call urbanity.
56K’s work is a reaction to the city’s everyday life. In a mixing technique from screen printing and painting as well as the interplay of analogous and digital technology, he takes up slogans, signs and symbols from media and High&Low Culture, twists them and – with new interpreted content and meaning – gives them back to the urban reality. Whether as a screen print, photocopy, sticker, installation or cut-out. Whether as a manipulated road sign, an intervening knife, a modified company logo (like his project Wasted Sparetime) or as the slogan graffitilovesyou: 56K uses the public as his platform. In the streets, but also in the middle of the gallery.
Check out the video of 56K posted at small-things.eu ("Big in small"). Full article here.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Born 1978
Lives and works in Hamburg, Germany
EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)
2009
ARTotale – street art project feat. international artists, curated by Rik Reinking; Lüneburg, Germany
Nachschlag! – group show in collab. with NoNewEnemies at heliumcowboy artspace; Hamburg, Germany
Das Herz von St. Pauli – group show, Iguapop Gallery; Barcelona, Spain
2008
The Ice Cream Van In My Neighborhood Plays Helter Skelter – solo show, Vicious Gallery; Hamburg, Germany
2007
Everything Counts In Large Amounts – solo show, heliumcowboy artspace; Hamburg, Germany
2006
Den Waagen Hier Weg Oder 6 Neue Reifen – group show, Galerie Hafen + Rand; Hamburg, Germany
2005
Index 05 – group show, Kunsthaus Hamburg; Germany
Wasted Sparetime – solo show, Galerie Hafen + Rand; Hamburg, Germany
56K und Grunert – solo show, heliumcowboy artspace; Hamburg, Germany