More color for our campus: At the end of July, graffiti artist Jack Lack gave two facades on the Vaihingen Campus an artistic makeover. The facade of the Library and the Media Space now feature large-scale graffiti art with bold, vibrant designs.
The project is part of the Glow up our campus! ideas competition, an initiative through which the University of Stuttgart supports creative projects by students and staff that make the campus more beautiful, lively, and welcoming.
Street Art meets university
While the library’s artwork centers on the book as a symbol of knowledge, education, and academic exchange, the artwork at the Media Space uses an abstract outer-space scene to explore themes of innovation, creative freedom, and limitless possibilities.
At the library, the arrangement of books echoes the lines and structures of the university’s architecture. An abstract archway made of books marks the entrance and symbolizes the transition into the world of knowledge. At the Media Space, the design is complemented by bright connecting points that students and staff can use to add their own elements related to projects, activities, and content. In this way, the artwork makes the work taking place at the Media Space visible and continues to grow with its community.
From the idea to the finished facade
The graffiti artworks grew out of a participatory process involving several project proposals. After the University’s Building Authority reviewed the proposed locations, a newly formed group selected the facades of the University Library and the Media Space.
Within just five days, both facades were transformed with their new designs. Thanks to dry weather, the work on the library facade was successfully completed using a lift. The artworks will remain in place until the planned renovation of the buildings, currently scheduled for around 2030.
About the artist
Street artist Roman de Laporte, who grew up in Stuttgart and works under the alias Jack Lack, is a self-taught artist specializing primarily in large-scale murals. His work can be found in cities including Stuttgart, Melbourne, Grenoble, and locations in Brazil. His murals often reflect themes that are meaningful to the people who live and work in the surrounding area.
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