The Backjumps festival, held every summer in Berlin, was without a doubt one of the most important street art events in the city.
The festival occupied the Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien for ten weeks between May and August each year. Even for those not particularly drawn to urban art, the venue itself was well worth the visit. Built in 1847, the building served as a deaconesses’ hospital until 1970. It was slated for renovation into social housing, but local residents opposed the plans. Today, it is dedicated to cultural and artistic activities.
The eighth edition of Backjumps ran from May 23 to August 2, 2015, offering a panorama of the street art scene with a major focus on the graffiti movement.
At the entrance of the exhibition, visitors could admire a wall by Victor Ash, whose giant “Astronaut” mural from 2007 still stands on a Kreuzberg wall just steps from the museum.
Public Tale — A Project by Various & Gould
As part of the exhibition, Various & Gould illustrated a story written by Polina Soloveichik entitled “Mike, Pete and Joe.” The story follows the mysteries of abandoned construction sites as seen through the eyes of three workers. A map was provided to help visitors find the six paste-ups scattered across the city — an amusing treasure hunt that doubled as a way to discover hidden corners of Kreuzberg.
Featured Artists
The 2015 edition showcased work by Akay, Victor Ash, Arunski & Poet, Banksy, Brad Downey, Boris Tellegen, Gonzalo Maldonado Morales, Graffitimuseum, Jeroen Jongeleen / Influenza, Jay One Ramier, Jeroen Erosie, Jürgen Große, Kacao77 & Phos4, Markus Butkereit, Matthias Wermke, Mode2, Paul du Bois-Reymond, Peter Michalski, Pigenius Cave, Skki, Thomas Bratzke, Various & Gould with Polina Soloveichik, and Velotramp.
Visiting Information
The exhibition was held at Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2, 10997 Berlin, and was open daily from noon to 7 pm.