The artist known as Invader was born in 1969 in Paris, France, the city where he is currently based. His work illustrates the overwhelming effect technology has had on contemporary culture while also critiquing it, using the ancient and traditional technique of mosaics to simulate digital pixels. Referencing the 1978 Atari video game, the artist began placing mosaics featuring Space Invaders on the streets of Paris in the late 1990s. Joined by Pac Man ghosts and other popular 8-bit characters, the works soon became a familiar sight to encounter in any urban environment. Invader’s use of tile to create street art, rather than paint or stencil, is not only a unique choice of medium—it also emphasizes his commentary of how digital information networks have affected and transformed our society. Sightings of the work have spread over the last ten years on a global scale as the artist continues invading public spaces across five continents. Currently, Invader’s work can be found on the streets of over forty cities, worldwide. Recently, Invader’s work has evolved, incorporating Rubik’s Cubes in addition to tiles, creating 3D sculptures that echo imagery found in his two-dimensional work. Invader is known to be the originator of this technique, a movement referred to as: Rubikcubism.
