By Anders Koch Madsen, volunteer journalist.
Every year, Roskilde Festival is a magnet for renowned graffiti artists from all over the world. This year, their works are stretching even further across the site — and some reach way up into the sky. We asked Lars Pedersen, the man behind the festival’s graffiti programme, to highlight three pieces you absolutely should track down.
This year, the graffiti team has launched a brand new initiative: Art Towers. Two tall towers built from shipping containers now serve as huge canvases for massive mural pieces, created by Dutch artist duos Mr. June & Sender, and German duo Loomit & Bert.
“We wanted to find a new platform for large-scale murals, and that turned into these towers. Each one is decorated as a single, giant artwork by one of the duos — and this is just the beginning. The plan is for the towers to grow taller each year, becoming a returning attraction people will associate with the festival,” says Lars.
You’ll find one Art Tower on Darupvej, between Skate and the train station, and the other on Indre Plads between Gaia and Zoneout.
Dutch artist Tripl is known for his spectacular projects — his latest, the book Repainting Subway Art, documents what Lars Pedersen calls “an insanely impressive graffiti project.” Naturally, Tripl had to be part of this year’s festival.
For Roskilde, he’s created something brand new: an interactive piece titled You Are in Control. It’s a wall with moving parts that festivalgoers can activate themselves.
“It’s a bit like old-school mechanics. You can pull a lever or turn a wheel, and something will change. You Are in Control is a wall with multiple layers that shift depending on how you interact with it,” explains Lars.
Find You Are in Control on one of the stables along Fence Walk — on the side facing Arena.
Alongside the curated artists, there’s a dedicated crew of volunteer graffiti artists transforming the festival site in the week leading up to the big days. They’re not part of the official line-up — but their contributions are just as important:
“We’ve got artists from 20 different countries — from every corner of the globe. They travel here on their own and spend an entire week working, just like all our other volunteers. Looking at this year’s list, I’m honestly blown away. It’s an incredibly strong line-up, and I can’t wait for the audience to discover it. The works show an amazing variety of styles and expressions depending on where in the world they come from,” says Lars.
Roskilde Festival’s graffiti team shares fresh snaps straight from the spray can — right into your feed.
