{"id":51988,"date":"2026-07-27T09:45:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T07:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.urbanpresents.net\/?p=51988"},"modified":"2026-07-27T10:01:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T08:01:54","slug":"in-the-eye-of-the-storm-or-what-graffiti-has-to-do-with-intrinsic-motivation-translation-and-a-captured-zander","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urbanpresents.net\/en\/2026\/07\/in-the-eye-of-the-storm-or-what-graffiti-has-to-do-with-intrinsic-motivation-translation-and-a-captured-zander\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Eye of the Storm \u2013 or: What Graffiti Has to Do with Intrinsic Motivation, Translation, and a Captured Zander"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Prologue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This text may disappoint some readers. The focus is not on the image, not on the finished piece, and not on the supposed end result. Here, the image itself is irrelevant. Interchangeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Style? Not a relevant category. And yet, graffiti inevitably provides the context.
Instead, this text focuses on the \u201cbefore\u201d and the \u201cafter.\u201d The \u201cbefore\u201d is what we call exploration; what follows is documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special thanks to HOPE from the OH Crew for the inspiring conversation and open exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exploring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I look back at how much time I used to invest in it [meaning graffiti, author\u2019s note] \u2013 both mentally and in practice \u2013 development of the actual style plays a completely secondary role for me in retrospect. What mattered most to me was researching train models, studying satellite images of rail yards, figuring out how to access them, mapping out train schedules on-site and so on and so forth. The actual painting is just a craft that takes very little time. But everything leading up to it is far more extensive, and far more meaningful to me as a person. For me, it\u2019s about exploring. Exploring Europe and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OH Crew \u00a9sr.mirando<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Moritz Klein makes a similar point in his essay \u201cGraffiti Is Murder\u201d: Graffiti cannot be reduced to its visuality. For him, it is not primarily about creating images; what truly counts is the process \u2013 the act, the experience, the moment. The image (or, more precisely, its photographic documentation) is at most a byproduct, a visual trace of the activity.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And one thing is clear: he’s right about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This places us directly in the discourse about graffiti\u2019s \u201cdetached\u201d visual nature. Or, in other words: in the realm of the before and after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For HOPE, the concept of \u201cexploring\u201d applies in every sense: There\u2019s also something like \u2018train tourism.\u2019 People travel somewhere, then call the local hero and say \u2018we\u2019ll be in your city on such-and-such a date; please take us along.\u2019 That was rarely an option for me. At best, I always wanted to figure it out myself. It was important to me to see how I could apply the skills I\u2019d learned to new situations. Maybe with fewer results, but I didn\u2019t care. You can\u2019t see that just by looking at the train, but I know it. And that\u2019s why I have a different kind of respect for those who\u2019ve made it on their own.\u201d He adds: \u201cDoing the same thing over and over is deadly boring to me. It\u2019s a nightmare!\u201d HOPE\u2019s graffiti practice is thus always an act of translation. Each time, he asks himself: How can I apply my knowledge of infrastructures A, B, and C to infrastructure D? Which skills do I use as usual, and where do I need to adapt to suit the specific location? Given this, it\u2019s no surprise that the conditions under which a piece is created are a key criterion for its value. After all, these conditions play a decisive role in shaping the final product, including all the preparatory work such as exploring.[2]<\/a> HOPE explains: \u201cFor example, I sit at the train station and watch what time each train departs. Next, I write down when the cleaners arrive and when they leave [\u2026]. Also: at what time it\u2019s light enough to take a traffic photo in the morning. It\u2019s no use to me to draw train number 1 leaving in the dark; instead, I have to draw train number 3 leaving in daylight so I can take a good photo, even if it\u2019s parked in a spot that\u2019s less convenient for my work. That\u2019s the effort you just have to put in; otherwise, it won\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Disruption<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To understand the roots of this practice, you have to go back a few years in HOPE\u2019s life. \u201cWhen I was younger, I spent hours obsessing over letters and style. I was a total nerd kid, sitting in my bedroom at night, drawing an S for four hours \u2013 until it was exactly how it was supposed to be. Only then did I start painting outside, and even then, I thought carefully about where, with whom, and how. There was a shift, and the piece itself gradually became less important \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wholetrain \u00a9Offline Hackers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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For HOPE, it\u2019s all or nothing: \u201c\u2018 I\u2019ll just go spray a little\u2019 doesn\u2019t exist for me. When I \u2013 or we \u2013 go out to spray, we do it right. We paint the biggest, most colorful piece exactly where we want it. Maybe it\u2019s unhealthy perfectionism: I don\u2019t know. But when I\u2019m emotionally invested in something, I have to be all in.\u201d And he adds: \u201cI think a lot of people feel that way. Otherwise, you wouldn\u2019t take all that on yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn\u2019t put yourself through all that. For example, I used to often skip parties I was supposed to attend because I hadn\u2019t slept the night before. I froze my ass off in some bushes. I sat for four hours in some muddy hole watching some guy clean a train. That kind of endurance has to come from somewhere. It\u2019s not something you do casually. Others have risked relationships with girlfriends or parents. You only put up with that if you really want it.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, and this is where it gets crucial, graffiti \u2013 or train writing in particular \u2013 is, of course, also about cracking the system. It\u2019s about infiltrating a system that isn\u2019t meant for you. Silently, and on tiptoe. Destruction isn\u2019t the goal; what matters is temporarily undermining the system\u2019s mechanisms, disrupting them, and exposing that disruption from within.[3]<\/a> Like a hacker \u2013 an o<\/u><\/strong>ffline h<\/u><\/strong>acker \u2013 who knows the security gaps and exploits them without collapsing the system. On the contrary: the intervention adds complexity. And that\u2019s a good thing. After all, who wants to live in a world where everything is black or white, in or out, small or large? The most compelling stories unfold in the gray areas \u2013 where those who navigate the boundaries feel at home, play their game, and keep the system alive. Anything else would be stagnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOPE describes it as a demonstration of power: \u201cYou immerse yourself in a system, you look for the loopholes, and you exploit them. To be honest, that\u2019s a truly exhilarating feeling. And when you actually see your train rolling in, that\u2019s the ultimate thrill. It\u2019s a key moment every single time: standing at the station, watching your train arrive.\u201d This suggests that: Even in seemingly strictly controlled systems, there are tactical leeway or loopholes within which the mechanisms of discipline can be undermined or reinterpreted.[4]<\/a> The result: Discipline becomes an anti-discipline displayed within the system. And HOPE adds: \u201cSome people paint for 10 minutes, some for 20 minutes, and some for hours. And then, for example, the 2-hour painting comes in, that\u2019s a moment of pure joy. It\u2019s hard to top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OH Crew \u00a9sr.mirando<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s clear that cracking the system carries political weight. Yet HOPE doesn\u2019t prioritize bold slogans; subtlety is key: \u201cIt\u2019s political in itself to observe a system, document it, and then exploit the loophole. Of course it\u2019s political \u2013 it\u2019s a statement, after all. It\u2019s about showing a system where the limits of total control lie.\u201d Once again, the pictorial or visual expression recedes into the background. Or as Moritz Klein puts it succinctly: The image does not generate any aesthetic value on its own; it is more of a trophy than an image. It points to the writer\u2019s victory, signaling: I made it. I\u2019ve won.[5]<\/a> Klein identifies pushing limits, achievement, competition, entertainment, adrenaline, and urban adventure as the central motifs of this practice.[6]<\/a> And HOPE confirms the significance of adrenaline \u2013 but also its ambivalence: the intense emotional experience is by no means easy to process or overcome. \u201cDopamine addiction? Maybe,\u201d says HOPE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High-End Lure Fishing for Zander<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What does this \u201csystem cracking\u201d feel like after more than 25 years of graffiti for HOPE? HOPE compares it to this: \u201cImagine you\u2019re in the eye of a storm for a brief, sublime moment. First, you fight your way into the storm with all your energy. Then, when you\u2019re right in the middle of it, everything suddenly goes quiet. You\u2019ve consciously put yourself in this situation, and at first, you\u2019re under immense stress. You\u2019re constantly aware of the potential consequences. That boosts your dopamine. Only once the first lines are painted, the tension eases, creating a huge contrast to the minutes or even hours before. Mastering and enduring that is really exciting. It has enormous addictive potential. And there\u2019s another challenge: most of the time, you have almost no space to work. The sketch on the train might be 8 meters long, but you only have about a meter of free space behind you before the next train or fence. You can\u2019t step back to check the proportions. But when, in that situation, you deliver what you\u2019ve practiced for years, that\u2019s incredibly satisfying. Though you often don\u2019t realize it until the next day, when you see what you\u2019ve created.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOPE has since stepped back from active graffiti writing, but he\u2019s applied his approach to other pursuits like fishing: \u201cThese days, I really enjoy fishing for zander with artificial lures, often late at night. That means I\u2019m willing to travel long distances and overcome obstacles to fish in spots where no one else goes, because most people simply can\u2019t get there. So I\u2019ve kind of adapted the game to a more age-appropriate and family-friendly alternative, but one that\u2019s not boring for me. It\u2019s super exciting \u2013 but also super nerdy!\u201d To understand this, you have to know: \u201cI got my fishing license when I was 14, then I completely forgot about it. And when I stopped doing graffiti, I went fishing like a maniac, basically as a self-imposed methadone program. And like I said: I don\u2019t just go fishing any old way. I don\u2019t sit by the river, cast a line, drink a beer, and wait. Instead, I use high-end tackle from Japan or the U.S. and actively fish at night, targeting a very specific species of predatory fish with modern artificial lures. To do this, I travel a long distance and use modern fish finder data to scout the structure of the riverbed, since predatory fish aren\u2019t distributed linearly throughout the water. They only live and hunt around very specific structures that you have to learn to recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9Offline Hackers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a9Offline Hackers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Does graffiti give him an advantage in fishing?
\u201cOf course it does,\u201d HOPE confirms. \u201cHere, too, good preparation is everything, as is the ability to endure hardship and a willingness to push boundaries. Being able to handle sleep deprivation isn\u2019t a bad thing either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What remains of all this? A photo \u2013 of the piece. Or of the fish. Because: \u201cIt\u2019s true, if you don\u2019t have a photo, you just don\u2019t have a photo. In ten years at the latest, you\u2019ll have forgotten it; the rest of the world forgets even faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Footnotes and Context:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This text is not a traditional artist portrait. Instead, it emerged from a longer conversation in which many aspects were intentionally left open. The author\u2019s questions provided a framework but served only as initial impulses. The discussion centered on the topics that mattered most to the interviewee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conversation with HOPE, several compelling themes emerged. One of them is explored in the text above: exploring. Incomplete and subjective, it offers a selective glimpse into the graffiti cosmos, which is as heterogeneous as it is multifaceted. This text may inspire further topics, perspectives, or conversations \u2013\u00a0as a supplement or an alternative. We\u2019ll see: Anything is possible, nothing is mandatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many thanks go to HOPE for his willingness to exhange, his openness, and his confidence in a potential outcome that would meet his expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Endnote<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> See Klein, Moritz: \u201eGraffiti ist Mord\u201c, in: Zugriff. Schriften zum visuellen Ungehorsam (hrsg. von Robert Kaltenh\u00e4user), Nr. 1\/November 2013, S. 12. I myself have also pointed out this supposed fallacy on several occasions; see, for example Glaser, Katja: \u201eGraffiti cannot be deciphered with the eyes, it can only be read by the soles of the feet\u201c, in: Graffiti. Interdisziplin\u00e4re und kontempor\u00e4re Perspektiven (hrsg. von Friederike H\u00e4user), Beltz Juventa, 2021, pp. 62-81.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> See Klein 2013: 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> The idea of not destroying systems but rather creatively exploiting their gaps recalls the work of the two French sociologists and philosophers Michel de Certeau and Michel Serres. De Certeau describes how people act tactically in everyday life\u2014for example, how pedestrians carve out their own paths through the city instead of following predetermined routes. Serres speaks of \u201cparasites\u201d that disrupt systems in order to transform them productively. Both demonstrate that genuine change often arises not when rules are broken, but when they are cleverly circumvented or redefined. See De Certeau, Michel (1988): Die Kunst des Handelns, Berlin; and Serres, Michel (1987): Der Parasit, Frankfurt a.M.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> See De Certeau 1988: 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/a> See Klein 2013: 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/a> See ibid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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