A few weeks ago now, Melbourne was host for the first time to the internationally renowned Meeting of Styles events. Meeting of Styles Melbourne 2016 saw around 300 artists paint all of Melbourne’s legal laneways over four days – as well as a couple of secret spots in and around the city. This was the first time this many lanes had been painted simultaneously.
This event was different to the usual arts events I have attended and posted about in the past, this one focused on graffiti and paid homage to Melbourne’s rich history and still strong graffiti scene.
Apart from the amazing pieces produced and having all of he city’s walls look their best, the vibe over the four days was incredible. Artists and their friends and fans filled the streets – it didn’t feel like we were right in the middle of the Central Busienss Districy of Melbourne at all, which is where many of the lanes are located. Thousands of spectators came to watch and tourists stopped and took hundreds of photos. Check some of the photos out here: #MOSMelbourne
It was refreshing to see some of Australia’s best writers come to town and remind us why Melbourne/Australia has a rich and vibrant graffiti culture, and how much we have to thank graffiti for it’s cousin, street art – also a massive and important part of our city’s fabric and culture.
Locations included, Hosier and Rutledge Lanes, Union Lane, Flinders Court, Croft Alley, Blender Lane, Electric Place, Drewery Lane, Lovelands (next to the Queen Victoria Market) and Whiteman Street and a number of “secret” spots in Footscray and South Yarra.
Check out these great photos by David Russell of the event – more here.
This video gives you a great perspective on the area covered by the event (and this is just the streets and lanes in the centre of the city) – another perspective – we walked around 65kms over the 4 days covering all the streets and catching up with crew.
Also – for the 1st time – a good friend of mine Trent – from SCANN3D – has 3D mapped 3 of the locations. Check this out – it’s such a great way to capture the end result of an event like this – before works get capped or eventually painted over. Have a look around (click on the House icon to change locations).
All in all it was a hugely successful event – we hope to be back again, bigger and better in 2017 and beyond! From the MOS Press Release “After recent negative reports about graffiti in our city, Meeting of Styles Melbourne proved that the graffiti subculture can work harmoniously with both street artists and the public to create a safe event involving all the community”.
Check out MOSMelbourne on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Video courtesy of Mick Russell (photos by Hunter Boyle)
3D Scan by Trent and the guys at SCANN3D
Photos by David Russell