25 Places Reborn Through Graffiti

I spotted this trend years ago as I visited the NYC shrine of graf - 5Pointz. Sadly 5Pointz is gone but there are other, smarter cities that have found a way to embrace street art and create new amazing and popular spaces.

Here on Atlas Obscura are 25 of those places.

Abandoned or forgotten places can become otherworldly canvases.

by jonathancarey

25 Places

There are endless stretches of abandoned structures scattered around the world, many forlorn and destined to be reclaimed by nature—eventually. In the meantime, many abandoned factories, alleys, hotels, and more have been transformed into living canvases. With every brushstroke and release of spray paint, these places, some officially sanctioned, others not so much, get some injection of new life, as art museums without the white walls. 

Just outside Las Vegas is a former shopping outlet that has been reimagined as a modern art gallery. Due to financial issues, the Primm Outlets were forced to close their doors, until a new owner stepped in with a new approach. Artists were invited to decorate the walls and remaining storefronts of the now Prizm Outlet, and it’s seen more visitors than ever before. In Stockholm, an abandoned industrial village is now one of Europe’s largest graffiti exhibits. Each spring, graffiti writers and mural artists across Sweden descend on what’s known as the Snösätra Wall of Fame to refresh the artwork and craft new pieces. From an abandoned sniper post to an alley that is the largest outdoor art gallery in the Northwest United States, these are 25 of our favorite places reborn from the end of a nozzle. 

 

Above Ground Midtown

The Olayan Group and The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) present Above Ground Midtown: MCNY x DAZE, a new exhibition featuring two newly commissioned artworks by acclaimed artist Chris “DAZE” Ellis. The paintings will be created onsite in public view at 550 Madison’s south retail space on the corner of 55th Street and Madison Avenue, which features soaring, 60-foot ceilings and windows on three sides. Presented in conjunction with Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection, currently on view at MCNY, 550 Madison will feature two large-scale paintings in which DAZE seeks to evoke the beautiful chaos of New York City, drawing on inspiration from the building and its adjacent public garden.

The legendary artist Chris “DAZE” Ellis is currently at work on newly commissioned artworks at 550 Madison Avenue on the corner of 55th Street. The following interview with him was conducted by Street Art NYC contributor Ana Candelaria.

How did this wonderful opportunity come your way? And why this location?

This project came about through my ongoing relationship with the Museum of the City of New York. I was informed that there might be an opportunity to activate this huge space in Midtown Manhattan. And so, I didn’t choose the location; the location chose me.

What was your vision for this project? And how did it evolve?

We began with an offsite meeting, where we saw firsthand what the space would look like. We tossed
around ideas, and I thought that whatever composition I come up with should be bright
and colorful — not dark and somber. It should, somehow, really lighten up the space. I started
thinking about color first and then composition.

Then I started thinking about this building which is really iconic. The chief architect is Philip Johnson, and I thought,”Okay, my work is very New York-based. I work in New York everyday, and I draw inspiration from my daily commute.”

I wanted to come up with something that is easily recognizable as very New York, but — at the same time — something related to the natural world, as the site’s atrium is so beautiful.

Were there any particular challenges that you faced in seeing your vision through?

Not really. Once I came up with an idea for this particular space, there weren’t any challenges.

Your artwork at this site is still in progress. How has the response been so far?

The response so far has been 100 percent positive. And, most importantly, we’ve gotten great respect
from people who are just walking by in the street. Those people come from all walks of life. There are lots of tourists in this area, as well as people who pass by on their way to work. This area has a great mix of people.

Interview conducted by Ana Candelaria

 

How to Plot Your Drawings in AutoCAD

Artistic creativity comes in many forms and is increasingly adaptable to technology. Here, guest contributor Norma Rodriguez,  explains how AutoCAD can be used for technical applications:

AutoCAD is an essential tool for architects, engineers, and designers who need to create highly detailed technical drawings. But while drafting and designing are key parts of the process, the final step, i.e., plotting your drawings, is just as important. 

Plotting ensures your digital designs are accurately represented on paper, whether it’s for presentations, approvals, or on-site construction use.

Plotting in AutoCAD can seem a bit overwhelming if you’re new to it. With various settings, layouts, and printers to consider, it’s easy to get lost. However, with the right approach, you can plot professional-quality drawings that are clear, well-scaled, and print exactly the way you intended.

 

Set Up Your Layout for Control and Precision

One of the most effective ways to get great results when plotting is to work within the Layout tab instead of printing directly from the Model space. Layouts allow you to define how your drawing appears on a sheet of paper. You can add a title block, insert viewports to show different parts of the design, and manage annotations and dimensions separately from the model.

This approach helps you maintain clean, organized prints without cluttering your model space. It also allows you to focus on scale and alignment, which are crucial when your drawing needs to be used in real-world applications.

 

Understand How to Print to Scale in AutoCAD

One of the most common frustrations in plotting is getting the drawing to print at the correct scale. To do this, you will have to know how to print to scale in AutoCAD. If your measurements don't translate properly from screen to paper, the whole purpose of the drawing can be compromised.

In AutoCAD, printing to scale means you tell the program exactly how many units on your drawing equal a specific amount on paper. This could be something like 1:50 or 1:100, depending on your needs. If you’re working in a layout, you can set the scale within the viewport. Once the correct scale is applied, locking the viewport will ensure it doesn’t accidentally change later. 

Accurate scaling is important, especially when your drawing is going to be reviewed or measured by someone else. Take the time to verify that your scale settings match the project requirements before finalizing your plot.

 

Choose the Right Plot Style and Settings

Your plot style controls how different layers and colors appear on the printed page. You might want black-and-white prints or line weights that reflect specific design elements. Setting this up in advance saves time and gives your drawings a professional finish.

Also, be sure to check that your printer or plotter settings are correct, and use a standard paper size that fits your layout. A quick plot preview before printing can help you catch any issues with alignment, scale, or missing content.

 

Keep Your Plotting Process Consistent

Once you’ve figured out a system that works, save your settings so you don’t have to start from scratch every time. You can create a page setup template in AutoCAD that includes your preferred layout, scale, plot style, and printer options. This makes future plotting faster, more reliable, and consistent across projects. 

Ride the Art Ghost Train

Show in Browser       Augustin Rebetez and Rebecca Moss at the Ghost Train © Museum Tinguely, Basel; photo: Matthias Willi If you find yourself in Basel, Switzerland, don't miss Museum Tinguely's latest installation Scream Machines – Art Ghost Train by Rebecca Moss & Augustin Rebetez. It runs from 22 May – 30 August 2025.   On 22 May 2025, Jean Tinguely would have turned one hundred years old. Museum Tinguely will celebrate this birthday with an inauguration of the Art Ghost Train, Scream Machines. The installation will pay homage to Le Crocrodrome de Zig et Puce, a work by Jean Tinguely created in 1977 in collaboration with Bernhard Luginbühl, Daniel Spoerri, and Niki de Saint Phalle for the opening of the Centre Pompidou in Paris.   Bernhard Luginbühl and Jean Tinguely, Le Crocrodrome de Zig & Puce, 1977, 55 x 120 cm, modified exhibition flyer with black felttip pen, gouache, and collage. © 2025 Pro Litteris, Zurich, Museum Tinguely, Basel. Donated by Prof. Dr. Roland Bieber in memory of Karola Mertz-Bieber. Scream Machines, a large-scale installation designed by British artist Rebecca Moss and Swiss artist Augustin Rebetez, will take visitors on a journey through an immersive artistic landscape. The official opening of the Ghost Train will take place on May 22, 2025, in the presence of Dr. Severin Schwan, Beat Jans, and Dr. Conradin Cramer. The Museum Tinguely is pleased to celebrate Jean Tinguely with a public party for all and warmly invites you to join us.

Elsa Schiaparelli

Artist? Fashion Designer? Or both? Yes. Elsa Schiaparelli was a one of a kind iconoclast who collaborated with the Surrealists to create amazing designs in fashion.

The Italian-born French couturière Elsa Schiaparelli is best known for the iconoclastic bravado and unrestrained, at times brazen, originality of her work. Schiaparelli flouted convention in the pursuit of a more idiosyncratic style. As much an artist as a dress designer, she commandeered the talents of a host of prominent artisans and artists, most notably those associated with the Surrealist movement. Distilling their disquieting dream-based imagery and provocative concepts through her own creative process, she incorporated themes inspired by contemporaneous events, erotic fantasy, traditional and avant-garde art, and her own psyche into her designs. A repertoire of inventive devices—experimental fabrics with pronounced textures, bold prints with unorthodox imagery and colors, opulent embroideries, outsized and exposed zippers, and distinctive buttons and ornaments ranging from the whimsical to the bizarre—was her medium of creative expression.

Disney and Dali

Did you know that Salvador Dali and Walk Disney collaborated on a project. Me neither!

A recent article in Mentalfloss tells it all:

Salvador Dalí was approached by Walt Disney himself in 1945 to propose a collaborative film. Entitled Destino, the picture would be based upon a Mexican folk song of the same name, with the music played to accompany a sequence of Dalí-designed animation. The overjoyed surrealist enthusiastically agreed and quickly began sketching storyboards.

Disney’s sudden turn to surrealism was an attempt to silence several of his critics who felt that his films all too often sacrificed genuine artistry at the altar of marketability—favoring tradition and safety over innovation and experimentation. The evocative Fantasia, released in 1940, had been a groundbreaking first step on this front, and the animator now hoped that Destino would keep this newfound momentum going.

But alas, the project never came to be; Disney pulled the plug on the film after its third month of production. Though the two would remain lifelong friends, nothing remains of their short-lived joint venture but a 15-second demo reel and a handful of rudimentary sketches.

However, some 54 years later, the development of Fantasia’s long-awaited sequel, Fantasia 2000, inspired Disney’s nephew, Roy, to finally revive the project. A team of French animators were brought onboard to produce the six-minute film on the basis of Dalí's notes and storyboards. In 2003, his musical vision was released at long last. You can watch the results of their efforts below.

Clayscapes Goes Brooklyn

Clayscapes Pottery is a business that works with the ceramic community, offering classes and products for potters and aspiring potters. What struck my interest is this:

If you ever wondered what colors certain Brooklyn neighborhoods would be, check out Clayscapes Brooklyn.

 

Girls in the Windows - Ormand Gigli

Luna Luna Love Love

After 35 years in storage and thanks to a massive donation by Drake, Luna Luna has been exhumed and restored and on exhibit at NYC's The Shed. Luna Luna was a theme park/carnival staged last in 1987 in Germany and incorporated the work of artists for the rides and attractions. That is, artists like Salvador Dali, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and Jean Michel Basquiat. Then it was put into storage where it sat ... until now.

I went last week and was delighted by the rides, performances and materials. Here are some of the highlights:

Creative Manhole Covers

This through Untapped New York:

Throughout Japan, including in Tokyo, there are decorative “design manhole covers” intended to enhance the streetscape, celebrate culture and heritage, increase the visibility of infrastructure, and give a boost to the economy. They go beyond New York's unique and artistic manhole covers, by adding customized, full color images, sometimes with raised metallic details. Here, we look at examples from Tokyo and consider how New York City could do its own twist on this concept!