Bombsquad – Rise Of The Vandals
York based non-profit art collective, Bombsquad, hosted their fourth project ‘Rise Of The Vandals’ over the course of 3 weekends. The exhibition started on 22nd June with the final day of the event being 7th July. Each weekend welcomed hundreds of visitors to explore the different art on display. The SASH team had volunteers available to speak to every day of the event where people could ask about the work we do.
The theme of this year’s exhibition was an excavation of the largely unseen history of graffiti and street art in York from the 1980’s through to the present day. Drawing on the extensive archive of Keith Hopewell AKA Part2ism, from York which includes photography, video and press clippings. Alongside this they explored elements of the wider UK graffiti and street art scene, with a selection of artists. The aim is to cut through the pretensions of commercial galleries which cater for privilege and affluence to instead create something to enrich the city and connect its communities and support local charities.
The event saw artists from all over the UK showcasing their talents in a disused central York location (2, Low Ousegate, YO1 9QU), using all and any aspects of the building! Prior to the event starting, a few of the SASH Young People created some amazing artwork which was then showcased throughout the 3 weekend long event.
Each year, Bombsquad choose a different charity to raise money for with SASH being their 2024 Charity of choice! We are still awaiting the final amount raised so stay tuned..
