In Pictures: Curator Roger Gastman Brings His Hit New York Street Art Show to London’s Saatchi Gallery

Roger Gastman, curator of the celebrated exhibitions “Art in the Streets” at L.A. MoCA and “Beyond the Streets” in Brooklyn, is heading to the U.K.

“Beyond the Streets London” opens today at the Saatchi Gallery, through May 9. Once more taking audiences along a journey through the history of street art, this latest offering includes entirely new works by Felipe Pantone that bring us right up to the digital age.

The mammoth survey features work from more than 100 artists, filling every room of the gallery’s multi-floored, 70,000-square-foot space. Special installations will invite visitors into traditional venues for graffiti when it was still an underground practice, such as the recreated shop Trash Records, public transportation and back alleys. Here, we come to understand the role the art form played in forging identity, youth culture and artistic resistance.

The exhibition also traces street art’s eventual acceptance by the mainstream art world, predominantly exploring its influence on leading contemporary artists as diverse as Todd James, Jenny Holzer, KAWS, Kenny Sharf, the Guerrilla Girls and Keith Haring.

Archival objects and rare documents bring to life a rich range of subcultures, from punk rock to hip-hop. Some collaborations between musicians and graffiti art on display include the styling of the Beastie Boys and the a backdrop produced live by artist FUTURA2000 during a performance by The Clash. As the exhibition shows, street art has also long been an important cultural reference for so many creatives working in fashion and film.

Check out some installation shots of the exhibition below.