An abandoned train reparation facility in central Berlin has been spontaneously transformed into a gigantic graffiti exhibition. The area, that used to be a place for trains to be parked and repaired, has been literally falling apart for a short decade. The roofs of the huge buildings have fallen down and trees and shrubberies have started to grow through cracks and rails everywhere. The place looks like fusion between a giant construction site and a northern style jungle.
During the second half of the areas yearlong abandonment graffiti writers have slowly begun to overtake it by trespassing and painting the walls, which are practically the only things still standing. Over time it has developed into being a highly active scene where a great number of people come, either to look at the walls or to add a new piece. There are perhaps 6-8 Km2 of wall to cover and it is going on its 10th repaint at least. Nobody knows how many people are actively using the space, but there is no question that activity has increased significantly as the word has spread about it.
The unwritten rules and norms of the facility relate to the general consensus concerning behavior that is internally developed in the graffiti environment. What can be repainted, and how to approach one another in an area where it is illegal to even stay is a delicate matter. In fact there is not much interpersonal contact there at all. The social interaction almost exclusively takes the form of visual exchange without personal contact.
The names on the walls represent unseen persons that artistically relate to each other. The writers keep an eye on the artistic development of each other and the perceived artistic level of a particular writer allows him or her certain liberties. If your name is held in high esteem you can repaint walls that others cannot. For the same reason your piece will probably stay longer if you are respected. In this way a social and artistic hierarchy is developed that allows the walls to be constantly improved visually according to the aesthetic norms of that particular graffiti environment. And this happens without words. Since there is no official forum, the rules have to be developed without personal contact. The communication revolves around the visual changes in the gallery space.
Outsiders that come only to see the work have to rely on the work itself to tell them a story. Moreover, it requires certain knowledge to even know that the place exists, how to get there and how it works. In fact, the pieces are not directed at the general public at all. The gallery is basically for writers by writers and no effort is made to publicize its existence, partly because that would decrease its chances for longevity.
Wherever there is a graffiti environment of a certain size and some abandoned buildings that are accessible, there is a good chance that something like this will happen. The phenomenon exists all over the world. The general value system within the global graffiti environment provides for a mentality that rules can be broken. "The world is yours" is the motto. It is a freedom based mindset that results e.g. in unused space to be put to use. In many cases graffiti galleries develop and are active until the property in question is either sold or sealed off.
This is an example of spontaneous social design. There is no conscious effort to create these wordless communities. They simply evolve unconsciously as a kind of swarm intelligence. They appear and disappear according to circumstances and modes of behavior. It only takes the right space to be left alone long enough and the right people to find it for this interesting phenomenon to grow flourishing and fascinating collective outbursts of colorful expression.
