It’s always interesting to see how different artist careers develop.  Take Alexandre Bavard aka MOSA87 for example. He is an OG Graffiti writer from France who has continued to push the boundaries into the realm of fine art.  A prime example of his career arc is his latest, more unconventional collaboration release with JUSTKIDS. Let’s take a trip around the world where earlier this month Bavard, in sync with Global creative house JUSTKIDS, released a new limited edition sculpture series entitled: NEO-K19. Not just an art sculpture, the highly-detailed, yet simple release ties back to the early days of Graffiti in France, making it a perfect addition to any Graffiti art collection.

Not that familiar with Bavard or the JUSTKIDS Global creative house? Don't worry! We'll fill you in on everything you need to know! Let’s start by taking a quick look at Alexandre Bavard and his work.

About Alexandre Bavard (MOSA87)

Born in 1987, Alexandre Bavard is a French multi-disciplinary contemporary artistwho is known to integrate everything from traditional art, sculpture, dance performance, graffiti, photography, and even found objects (or Neo-Archaeologies) into his creatively inspiring and intricate artwork. Bavard is also known under the alias MOSA87 from the Paris graffiti crew PAL, whose members include notable artists such as Antwan Horfee, Pablo Tomek, Ken Sortais, and the late Paul Saeio, amongst others.

After high school, Alexandre Bavard attended and graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Lyon and l'Ecole Boulle of Paris and has since been praised with awards such as the Palais de Tokyo Young Revelation prize. Bavard has has work shown in galleries across the world in major cities like New York, San Francisco, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, and even Berlin. Beyond exquisite gallery shows, Bavard has also appeared on the popular TED series giving talks and keynotes presenting his work while discussing his thoughts and the inspiration for his artistic movement.

Bavard’s work showcases his radical perspectives while highlighting his graffiti style and engaging a dialogue around the complicated dynamics that govern the world of graffiti and street art.  One of his more recent projects entitled “Bulky” actually focused on the physical movement of spray painting letters on a wall. It incorporated carefully choreographed dance, music, and even costume design. The piece focused on presenting a challenge to those who firmly believe that graffiti and the “tag” belong solely in the streets. But to Bavard, this integration of dance, music, and visual art seems to be the best way to capture and integrate that illegal street energy into an “institutionalized” format, so to speak.

About JUSTKIDS

Founded in 2014 by French-American art curator Charlotte Dutoit, JUSTKIDS is a global creative house that curates and produces extensive art projects on a global scale. A 100%-woman led movement, JUSTKIDS provides cultural development, art curation, brand collaboration, and content creation and specializes in connecting communities, creative spaces, and even artists with leading, yet sensible brands from around the world. Some of the more recognizable partners they have collaborated with in the past on large-scale projects include Andre Saraiva, Okuda, Fafi, Shepard Fairey (OBEY), Vhils, Cyrcle, Roa, D*Face, Jack Daniels, Marriott hotels, GUESS, EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival), UFC, and the NBA just to name a few. Ultimately, what makes JUSTKIDS stand out above the rest is that their mission not only focuses on, but embraces, art that truly comes from the streets.

The NEO 19-K Sculpture Series

Finalizing a 2018 artist residency in San Juan Puerto Rico, the NEW NEO 19-K Sculpture Series is the first edition of Neo-Archaeologic sculptures from artist Alexander Bavardand partner JUSTKIDS. There is a total of 12 different sculptures in this set, with each having been hand painted in acrylic and set in a special, personalized collectors box. The sculptures themselves are roughly 5” x 9” in size and come signed, numbered, and complete with a certificate of authenticity.   

What makes the NEO 19-K Sculpture Series extremely unique is the fact that they are actual casts of originalSNCF plates of the famed National Society of French Railways, which for countless years has inspired generations of graffiti writers throughout the world. For Bavard, this specific sculpture series is meant to bridge the metaphysical gap between his work outdoors and in the streets into a tangible, and even collectable, piece.

According to the JUSTKIDS press-release, the new NEO K-19 sculpture series, “tells the story of a fictional archaeological discovery, exploring the connection between our memories and beliefs. Through his creative process, Bavard scours the streets of contemporary and historic urban landscapes reworking objects and state or public property into vestiges of futuristic artifacts, unveiling new possibilities and connections between space, objects, memory, and meaning.”

What Alexandre Bavard (MOSA87) has accomplished through this sculpture series is as peculiar as it is groundbreaking. He has managed to go beyond the physical “tag”, successfully blurring the guidelines of what is acceptable in the world of graffiti and street art. Through the incorporation of more traditional forms of visual and performance art he has captured that true essence of the street vibe. Definitely not an easy thing to do when you’re working in highly-institutionalized creative spaces. But, through a cooperative collaboration with the ever-so supportive JUSTKIDS creative house, Bavard was able to make this a reality.