TAPE THAT COLLECTIVE
We are a collective of five artists and formed TAPE THAT in 2011. Inspired by the possibility to create something new out of an everyday object, we mostly works with adhesive tape as a medium. With roots in the urban art movement, our works range from complex and colorful tape and light installations to minimalist black and white murals. These tape artworks can be found in a variety of places, such as underground nightclubs, abandoned buildings, showrooms and galleries. While focused on Berlin, the collective is active in many other cities, nationally and internationally, with recent and ongoing projects in the Bulgaria (Sofia), Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Battambang), Egypt (Cairo, Minya), Namibia (Windhoek), Peru (Lima), Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), Spain (Palma de Mallorca), the UK (London) and the USA (Los Angeles).
TAPE ART
We create artworks made solely out of adhesive tape – tapes of all colors, sizes and materials. Our artworks range from room-filling installations to abstract structures combined with light projections and classical tape art murals – we strive to push the boundaries of what most people perceive possible to do with ordinary tape. Since tape art is a young art form, people are amazed by the idea itself and the ability to witness the creative process first hand: we often create our artworks in live performances in which the audience gets the chance to interact with the artists and to follow the progress of the artwork. Being a young art form, most people are surprised (sometimes even sceptical) when they first get in contact with tape art. Time and time again, this surprise turns into amazement when the bits and pieces come together and people see the finished artwork.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our fascination for tape art lies in thecombination of endless creative possibilities and the natural limitations that one has to deal with while working with tape. We are constantly challenged and inspired by the different characteristics of this medium, and the ways in which it influences our creative process. It is important for us to always involve the surrounding environment when creating each piece, thus ensuring a unique expression that fits within its context. Some of our artworks are simplistic and minimal, while others consist of intricate and complex structures. Working as a collective, each of us contribute our own unique styles and ideas, that complement and inspire the group’s work as a whole. Each project has a strong focus on cooperation – not only within the collective but also with the organizations we work with, other artists, art enthusiasts and art novices. Through our work we have had the opportunity to spread tape art as an art form and to introduce it to people around the globe who were unaware of its existence. This is probably the most rewarding aspect of our work, and we are more than excited to be a part of a movement that is just beginning.
