We’re going Beyond The Streets with adidas Originals

Forget the technicolour tunnel on Leake Street, the slick designs of Shoreditch or the lesser-known gems of Walthamstow’s Wood Street for a sec: there’s a new pop-up hotspot in town for street art and graffiti. This time, we’re heading into the great indoors.

In case you haven’t heard, Beyond The Streets London has taken over the entirety of the Saatchi Gallery, bringing over 100 of the world’s most legendary street art and graffiti artists to every millimetre of the space, from walls to hallways to stairwells.

Word on the street? It’s the most comprehensive exhibition of its kind, avoiding a paint-by-numbers timeline of graffiti and instead ingeniously spidering into music, culture, photography and fashion. With a lineup of world-renowned graffiti artists from AIKO to ZEPHYR (plus dozens in between), a selection of ultra-rare archive adidas pieces and a load of newly-commissioned installations, it’s the ultimate ode to the city’s canvases.

The exhibition is also supported by adidas Originals, an ideal fit thanks to the brand’s connection to underground culture, streetwear and collaborations with cutting-edge artists. To toast the opening, THE FACE partnered with adidas for a live painting session and convo with coveted can-wielder and producer Goldie, resulting in a brand new piece of street art and a final word on Samba or Superstar. ​“It’s got to be Superstar,” he said in our quickfire Q&A.

Now, THE FACE and adidas are linking up again for a brand new curation of events, seeing artists discuss creative practice, visual culture and the zeitgeist of the streets. Each event brings together an array of different generations, highlighting the street culture continuum and adidas’ distinctive fusion of retro and future.

Since graffiti is all about unlocking the world of art for everyone, we’re making every event free and open to all. Just use the form below to register your interest and hopefully you’ll land a space.

So what’s going down? The first instalment on 14^th March sees legendary fly-on-the-wall photographer Lawrence Watson take to the stage. Watson, whose work features in Beyond the Streets London, has shot pretty much every star under the sun, famously capturing the emerging hip-hop scene in NYC and snapping the likes of LL Cool J, Run DMC and Public Enemy.

He’ll be joined by imager-maker Marco Grey, known for his raw portraits, and analogue photographer Olivia Rose, who we’re a huge fan of. Hosted by Instagram trend consultant and collector Sam Trotman, aka @samutaro, it’ll see the group discuss the art of photography and how to capture emerging subcultures, tying it to the documenting of graffiti crews.

Next, we’re heading to the studio on 29^th March with painter Alfie Kungu, known for his hyper-concentrated hues and use of satin and silk in lieu of traditional canvases. Inspired by street art’s penchant for one-of-one, grailed pieces, Kungu will be customising a selection of adidas Original tees, jackets and shoes, ready to be taken home as a souvenir by a few lucky guests.

For our third event on 15^th April, we’ve lined up a top UK selector ready to rifle through their record bag and run through the art of sampling, leading a workshop that explains how to splice together existing snippets, give them a fresh lick of paint and convert everything into a totally new tune. Stay tuned to find out who.

To finish, we’re putting on an extra-special panel with an esteemed guest. Our lips are zipped on the rest, but stay tuned for a stroke of genius.

The only catch with these events is that they’re going to go supersonically fast; capacity is extremely tight, so sign up right away. Remember, too, Beyond The Streets London is showing until 9^th May, so get down to the Saatchi in the next few weeks for more street art than you can shake a can of spray paint at.

The FACE x adidas Beyond The Streets London events series takes place from 14^th March to 25^th April. Extremely limited spaces are available via the adidas CONFIRMED app or this sign-up form. See you there!