From Street Art to Space Art: The Incredible Space Invasions of French Urban Artist, Invader

Invader is the moniker of a renowned French urban artist for his art that emulates the crude pixellation of 8-bit video games from the 1970s and 1980s. He takes inspiration from the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders, and a significant portion of his artwork comprises square ceramic tiles inspired by video game characters.

With a passion for invading the world (space invading ) with his uber-cool mosaic creations, the Invader has made it his life’s mission to do just that. His artwork can be found all over the globe, including in London, France, and other locations. You can even track his invasions on his website.

After successfully invading Earth with his artwork, the Invader decided to take his game to the next level and invade space!

SPACE ONE (PINK)

Invader – Space One (Pink)

Art4Space

In August 2012, Invader returned to Miami and travelled to the edge of the Florida Everglades. He meticulously executed several flight simulations and planned to launch one of his artworks, Space 1 (Red), into the stratosphere. Invader proceeded to use a high-altitude balloon to launch Space 1 into the middle layer of the atmosphere, which is located about 60 kilometres from the earth’s surface. The launch had to be postponed for several days due to unfavourable weather conditions and intense heat.

Finally, after a flight of 3 hours and 53 minutes, Space 1 completed its triumphant return trip to the ground.

Invader – Art4Space 2D Print

Space2

The installation location chosen for the Space2 KLN_27 invader mosaic was the International Space Station (ISS), generously provided by the European Space Agency (ESA). The mosaic was launched on the 29th of July, 2014, aboard the European spaceship ATV-5.

Once it arrived at the ISS, it remained in zero gravity for several months until the astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti arrived at the station and found its perfect permanent location.

On the 12th of March, 2015, IT WAS announced that the mission had been completed and the mosaic had been installed on the European module Columbus.

Space2, last tests before leaving: Image @ ESA space invader

LED (MOON) TBC

UPDATE: In January 2023, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet sent Invader an email, declaring he was a fan and offering to take one of his works to the moon. “Somehow, it made sense that his little aliens be up there in space, looking down at us,” Mr. Pesquet explained.

Thomas Pesquet, who had spent six months in the International Space Station (ISS) and returned to Earth in June 2017, was an instant fan of Invader’s space2 mosaic called KLN_27. Read more here.

LED ‘Moon’ screen print by Invader

The power of art to connect people from diverse backgrounds is truly incredible, and moments like these highlight the impact that Invader has had on the world… and even beyond.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the works by Invader, please check out the Graffiti Street store. Alternatively, if you have any inquiries or can’t find what you are looking for, please contact us at sales@graffitistreet.com. We are more than happy to assist you with any questions you may have.

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