Ikarus

Project Title: Wish You Were Here

Location:

107 Manchester Street

Description:

Playfully reactivating a damaged artwork, Ōtautahi graffiti art legend Ikarus’ small-scale installation raises interesting questions about the changing fates and status of public art. Utilising a damaged lightbox that was once part of a larger work by artist Wayne Youle, the addition of an urban diorama scene within the broken box gives a new life to an otherwise abandoned object. Echoing the phrase that was formerly declared in Youle’s work, Ikarus’ intervention is both tongue-in-cheek and wistful. Additionally, the work also reflects on the change visited upon Owen Dippie’s much loved ‘Elephant’ mural adjacent to the lightbox. Ikarus’ urban scene speaks of his graffiti art roots, made from humble repurposed materials (as the artist frames it: ‘something from nothing’), echoing the activity of the streets at a smaller scale, it acts as a microcosm of a larger discourse.

Bio:

Nick "Ikarus" Tam (@highdoctornick) is a legend of the Ōtautahi graffiti scene. A founding member of the iconic DTR crew, Ikarus’ career spans decades and generations, amassing a deep knowledge of graffiti history and developing a strong philosophy around the movement’s power and potential. Known for his crisp, bold style, he is respected as an artist and advocate who speaks candidly and eloquently about the culture. Recognising his own evolution, Ikarus has become a committed mentor for young people, initiating projects that provide new avenues and change perceptions of graffiti. In addition to his traditional graffiti productions, Ikarus’ output also includes large-scale mural work, illustration, sculptural creations, and immersive installations, often informed by elements of graffiti culture, but also infused with commentaries on contemporary existence, inflected with a personal view from the peripheries of society. Featured in numerous high-profile events across Aotearoa, Ikarus has created work for the landmark Rise exhibition at Canterbury Museum (2013), Christchurch’s Spectrum festivals in 2014 and 2015, the roving South Sea Spray (2018, 2021 and 2022), SHIFT: Urban Art Takeover at Canterbury Museum (2023), and Ōtautahi’s Little Street Art Festival (2023). He has also been a keynote speaker at the Christchurch Hip Hop Summit and contributed to Auckland’s Avondale Pavilion Project.