When graffiti went legal!

Being aware of the recent
graffiti arrests made in
Durban, Forwarding African
Transport Services (FATS)
marketing manager, John
Harris, initiated a special
form of exhibition.
Titled “A Load Off”, it
sought to “take a load off
the minds of municipal
authorities and members of
the police”, he told FTW.
“For many, graffiti is
viewed as vandalism, but
FATS believes – when
executed appropriately – it
is an art form that brings
colour to the streets of our
city.”
So, with 10 sponsors for
the project (including FTW),
the company hosted the
graffiti jam on a 258sqm
red brick wall in its own
premises.
The 10 artists were each
tasked with creating a
vibrant graffiti mural for
their selected sponsor, and
the “Jam” held a prize from
the sponsors of R10 000 for
the artist who best expressed
the theme of the event –
“transportation”.
FATS will host the “Jam”
on a yearly basis.