Heating up Mauerpark Berlin
The world is moving faster than ever before. Technology, the environment, wars, the energy crisis, and the cost of living are all in a dynamic state of change that everyone on Earth is affected by. With these rapid advancements in the human condition, so too has the speed of human awareness creating a scenario where everyone has to rethink and increase their tolerance towards the needs of their fellow humans. Nobody knows this better than a collective of FLINTA painters in Berlin who have gotten together for the FLINTA Graffiti Jam 2023 on March 8th (International Women’s Day). The FLINTA Jam 2023 is the second FLINTA Graffiti Jam that has taken place in Mauerpark Berlin with an arsenal of color and creativity.
Celebrating diversity
The FLINTA Graffiti Jam is not just your average graffiti gathering where fame, clicks, and connections are the name of the game. Through a simple registration process, the collective recruits participants and raises awareness of the increasing number of FLINTA writers already within the graffiti community. An act that brings together like-minded people in a safe environment while also removing the existing graffiti barriers experienced by writers generally. Barriers that were created by the graffiti scene itself. The FLINTA Graffiti Jam was a perfect excuse to paint some pieces, empty some Montana BLACK cans, and bring some heat to the city walls while the temperature in Berlin at the time was far from warm.
Expressing yourself with the universal language of graffiti
The FLINTA collective still puts its focus on letters. Well aware that they are holding the event at the Mauerpark Hall of Fame, which is usually a space dominated by male writers. Thanks to the support of Montana Cans, 42 FLINTA-orientated writers were able to participate in painting on the 165 meters of wall space in a collaborative and empowering group dynamic.
What is FLINTA anyway?
Many people may be asking themselves, “What does FLINTA stand for anyway?” In German it stands for Frauen, Lesben, Intersexuelle, Nicht-binär, Transgender and Agender, which in English translates to Female, Lesbian, Intersexual, Trans, and Agender. Never before has mankind experienced a time with so much openness and tolerance to gender identity and what better way to express yourself than with the universal language of graffiti?
All images by Mellow Mov
Hats off to all those who attended the FLINTA Jam 2023, as the weather, which was cold, gray, and with a little snow, didn’t exactly make for high levels of comfort for the artists, or the bystanders. We are excited to see what is installed for the next FLINTA Jam.