Quote · Economist Podcasts
Cockroaches 1, Modi 0: India’s remarkable protests
Where this was said
Hunting Invader: The Mosaic Artist Who Invaded the World
At 24:13 · chapter starts 20:00
Caitlin Talbot takes the listener on a walk through Covent Garden, narrating the hunt for one of the tiny pixelated creatures left on walls and facades by the anonymous French artist known only as Invader. [1] — Caitlin Talbot "Invader mosaics in Paris: 1,500: The anonymous French street artist Invader has placed 1,500 of his pixel-art mosaics across Paris alone, w…" 21:02 The scale of Invader's output is staggering: 1,500 mosaics in Paris alone, thousands more in over 80 cities, with artworks affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. Talbot notes he may be even busier than Banksy. His medium is ancient — mosaic — but his inspiration is retro video games, and each tile acts as a perfect pixel so the images can also be scanned like QR codes. That scan mechanic powers the Flash Invaders app, which has accumulated over 47 million player 'flashes' to date. [2] — Caitlin Talbot "Flash Invaders app: 47 million flashes: Players of the Flash Invaders app have collectively logged more than 47 million 'flashes' — scans o…" 22:13 Talbot, who has spoken to Invader anonymously, says his aim is not just to interact with fans but to 'spark curiosity' — and her own urban treasure hunt bears that out. Unlike most mobile games that chain users to their screens, this one teaches the opposite habit: look up, look around, engage with the city. The episode closes with the same instruction, borrowed from the mosaics themselves.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The anonymous French street artist Invader has placed 1,500 of his pixel-art mosaics across Paris alone, with thousands more in over 80 cities worldwide.
Players of the Flash Invaders app have collectively logged more than 47 million 'flashes' — scans of the artist Invader's street mosaics.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
