Overview
Already a bastion of the weird and wonderful, Auckland’s K’Rd will become even more colourful as ten of the country’s leading street artists descend on the infamous one-kilometre stretch.
From April 10 - 12, ten giant canvases - a collection of blank walls - will be transformed as part of the All Fresco Festival. The three-year-old festival allows street artists to liven up walls in the uptown neighbourhood that are often vandalised or off the beaten track.
This year’s line-up of confirmed artists includes: Mt Maunganui aerosol artist Owen Dippie, who is booked to work alongside the new cycleway running from Upper Queen Street to Beach Road; pop surrealist Xoe Hall will turn the side of Auckland’s needle exchange in East Street into a bus shelter scene, and graffiti artist Askew One will brighten the southern side of the Mercury Lane car park building. Artists Berst, Cinzah, Drypnz, Haunt1, Jeremy Shirley, Tanja Jade, Erin Forsyth, Gasp, TrustMe and Component, complete the list of commissioned muralists.
The general public are also invited to unleash their inner artist, with the festival programme including workshops on typography, sticker, stencil and zine-making. Walking and bike tours of the All Fresco art circuit are also on offer.
The festival kicks off on Thursday 9 April with an exhibition at Yes Collective which will see a collection of New Zealand street artists showcasing work from installation pieces to video production.