Image via Complex Original
Last week, we checked out the new Spotify offices in New York. To make the space warm and inviting, they commissioned four local street artists—ChrisRWK, ASVP, WK, and Kostas Seremetis—to wheatpaste and paint the bathrooms, conference rooms, doors, and break rooms. We got a tour from Spotify's US Culture and Engagement Manager Kate Mendenhall, Design Manager Merv Garretson, and Curator Redboy (of StreetandStage.com), who share the stories behind these commissions. Read on to be impressed with their selections and how awesome their space looks.
Inside Spotify's New NYC Offices With Art by Local Street Artists
WK Mural in One of the 10 Tech Pods
Redboy: "When I moved to the city 18 years ago, WK basically owned downtown; he was everywhere. To me, he's the quintessential old school New York wheatpaste guy. For the New York Spotify office, we decided to commission all New York City artists."
"We had construction bring a bunch of stuff specially for WK. He specifically requested some of the thinner stuff that's really bashed in. He salvaged what was around. There are exposed nails and rusted stuff. The details are there."
Merv:"It was like, anything he could get his hands on to give it that depth, he was doing it. It was freaking amazing. It also brings the outside in. We were trying to make it feel like this could be on the street."
ASVP in the Conference Rooms
Merv: "All of the conference rooms are based on a classic US music venue. There's the Apollo, the 9:30 Club, the Viper Room, the Fillmore, Whiskey a Go Go, and more."
Redboy: "These are all by ASVP. They are my new school wheatpaste guys. We came up with the theme for the conference rooms ahead of time. We needed something that would stand out, so we thought we'd do iconic US music venues. Also, each piece has a little hidden little horse guy that you have to look for carefully."
ChrisRWK Paints Offices, Bathroom Stalls, and Exit Doors
Redboy: "ChrisRWK (Robots Will Kill) is the perfect link between my street and wheatpaste artists WK and ASVP and the painted/pop world of Kostas Seremetis. Some are more obvious, such as the pieces on and in Daniel Ek's office and others are hidden within bathroom stalls or upon exit doors. He truly exemplifies the playfulness of Spotify."
Kate: "Office buildings in New York are required to have a mother's room that can lock and have a fridge. So, its kind of a combination of that and a nap room."
Merv: "I told him I wanted a unicorn there."
ASVP in a Squad Room
Merv: "ASVP's research on each of the venues was phenomenal. It was a unique challenge for them, and they rose to it."
Kostas Seremetis in a Break Room (and on the Employee Wall)
Redboy: "Kostas is my Renaissance, pop guy. He used to paint these clubs I used to work at in Boston. He's my link to merging this project into the fine art world. I wanted the painted element to balance out all the wheatpaste stuff in the office, and he killed it."
ASVP Hero Mural
Redboy: "In total, ASVP did 25 pieces—24 conference rooms and this big hero piece. We had a bunch of 27-hour days for this big piece, because they are obsessive. They had up the whole second half of it and then they decided to change the color palette. They went back and re-did the whole thing, and they killed it. It's 22 feet x 22 feet. It reads 'The Making of a Classic.'"
