The Essence

the ESSENCE is an exhibition by STRAAT exploring the cultural meaning and foundations of graffiti. The exhibition focuses on the core elements of graffiti: names, tags, lines and repetition as the building blocks of a visual system. Line, form, flow and rhythm come together in an autonomous visual language, driven by movement and the urge to mark one’s presence. From the underground of New York to the development of the Dutch graffiti scene, the ESSENCE shows how graffiti grew into a global visual language and laid the foundation for contemporary movements such as urban contemporary and street art.