If you were too busy enjoying the rare phenomenon of sunshine on a bank holiday weekend to make it down to the Cans Festival, held in a tunnel beneath Waterloo station that was used as a taxi run in the days before Eurostar decamped, you missed the chance to see a sand-engulfed sitting room, a leafless tree bearing a bumper crop of surveillance cameras and other surreal installations, many of which also, appropriately enough, involved vehicles.
Although the sculptures have been removed, myriad stencils large and small remain. Some are by the international artists invited by Banksy to take part in the event, which was rubberstamped by the Department of Transport, which has assumed responsibility for the tunnel. Others were put up (with the blessing of the organisers) by around 600 of nearly 30,000 people who turned up over the three days to see the work of Run Don’t Walk from Argentina, Bandit from the Netherlands, Faile from the US, Orticanoodles from Italy and others.
There was a great atmosphere during the festival weekend, especially after dark (and you couldn’t put it all down the high concentration of aerosol solvent). If the spirit lasts and no one sees fit to get out a high-pressure hose (or their own cans) you should be able to check out the stencils for yourself over the next six months.
Armchair street art enthusiasts can see pictures of more of the exhibits in our photo gallery.
Posted by
Sarah 'i leave horses head in your bed' muccino
on
15 May 2008 14:30
Fascinating enough this realtes back to my pasta and mafia routes and found it very refreshing, i've been dreaming about how great this event is since snoozing on the boat down the thames
This is literally amazing! A defo must see....But yeah as Fat Seagull says slow on the uptake,,,,the installations have gone..it was also all about the atmos on those three days that made it so special.
9 comments
I can just imagine what the tunnel looks like now...covered with shitty chav-tags all over the art-work.
I was surfing the net on my I-ride Pony in mummy and daddy's house and was wondering whether this is in Marbella?
Fascinating enough this realtes back to my pasta and mafia routes and found it very refreshing, i've been dreaming about how great this event is since snoozing on the boat down the thames
Do they have Sky there?
get involved, this exhibition is truly awesome. I usually party at silent discos but this is miles better!
So can I still go and see it (less installations obviously). Does it cost? Can I just pitch up at 8pm and go in?
This is literally amazing! A defo must see....But yeah as Fat Seagull says slow on the uptake,,,,the installations have gone..it was also all about the atmos on those three days that made it so special.
Bit slow on the uptake here...
this is I want to go !