Zach and Julien, pictured, both work in the financial sector in Luxembourg Printocracy

Zach and Julien, pictured, both work in the financial sector in Luxembourg Printocracy

Two friends who are passionate about street art are starting their own nomadic gallery in Luxembourg. Read on to discover more about Printocracy.

Jess Bauldry: Tell us a bit about yourselves, where are you from, where do you work and how did you end up in Luxembourg?

Zach and Julien: We both work in the financial sector in Luxembourg. We used to work together at our previous job, and remained good friends after changing. We are both French, Julien grew up in Luxembourg and Zach arrived four years ago for work, from Shanghai. Beyond sharing a limitless curiosity and an eagerness to learn about everything, we both constantly have a multitude of ideas, every day. Printocracy, our nomad street and urban art gallery, is the achievement of one of them.

How did you two get into street art?

We got into street art last year, Julien started looking into some Obey prints first and got Zach to join in this passion. Then we looked for different artists, both established and new ones, exploring our tastes and interests in the subject. Of course, it didn’t take long before finding many artists whose artworks we really fancied. And our collection grew exponentially, which soon led us to have a shortage of walls to hang them. 
This is where the exhibition project started, instead of selling some on eBay, we figured it would be better to develop street art in Luxembourg and raise awareness about this art style not well represented here.

Tell us about your first exhibition--what kind of subjects are featured and can people meet the artists themselves?

Our exhibition will feature limited editions and original artworks by renowned international as well as up-and-coming artists. Some well known are: Shepard Fairey (aka Obey), Martin Whatson, Sandra Chevrier. We will also have Zokar, a French artist, present the night of the exhibition, showing his unique original paintings.
The subjects and styles featured are widely diverse. You will be able to find subjects such as artivism (art + activism), pop art or portrait; and the styles will range from stencils to paintings.
Conversely, the idea of being a nomad gallery goes alongside with what street art is meant to be at the first place: ephemeral!

Critics might say that street artists are selling out on the tradition of art for everyone by selling their work to private collectors. How do you respond to this argument?

Most street artists still hone their craft in the streets. By also selling artworks to private collectors, they are responding the market demand and we are glad that their art is finally starting to be recognised by galleries and even museums. It is also worth noting that a lot of artists release limited edition prints, our main focus for the exhibition, which are way cheaper than original while still retaining value. And that allows young people to start their collection on a budget. It is not reserved for wealthy individuals anymore.

Besides your exhibition, where’s the best place to see street art in Luxembourg?

The best place to see street art is on the streets! Keep your eyes open when you walk around and you might find some artworks hiding in plain sight. Luxembourg is not at the level of Berlin or Paris, but there are some artists in the region and we hope that it will grow further.

Discover Printocracy in Luxembourg

Printocracy's first nomadic exhibition will take place for one month at Downtown (12, rue Chimay), from 28 November. To find out more, visit printocracyluxembourg on Facebook.