Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach

Story and photos by Silvia Rueda

May 14, 2016 – The crisp white walls of Alys Beach pulsed with the unique and contemporary work of artists from all over the world. Digital Graffiti, an annual event hosted by the quaint beach town, makes use of Alys Beach’s characteristic all-white architecture to project digital art onto the walls, turning its streets into an electric utopia. The event hosted artists from around the globe from countries as far as Australia, South Korea and Germany.

With a combination of sound, architecture and technology, the digital works of art came to life. The three day event kicked off on Friday with the curator’s tour along the pathways of Alys Beach. Visitors got their first chance to take in the intricate projections while sampling food and drinks from local favorites.

On Saturday, the winners of this year’s festival were announced. Californian Nathan Johnson’s “Son Lux- Change is Everything”  won Best of Show, and Jinku Kim from Massachusetts won the Curator’s Choice for his piece titled “…what is seen was not made of what was visible.” Nathan Johnson’s created his contribution as the music video for the song “Change is Everything” by musical group Son Lux with a stop-motion production.

Katina Bitisicas, Jiyen Lee, Emilia Forstreuter and Yandell Walton received special recognition. Following the awards announcement, visitors walked through Alys Beach,  stopping to ooh and ahh the art dancing on the walls.

Olga Guse’s “The Astronaut”  was a prominent projection among the mingling crowd, chronicling the intergalactic journey of an American astronaut.

After the showcase, Alys Beach’s Caliza Pool was aglow for an after-party that gave event goers a chance to discuss the art inside the intimate cabanas or dance the night away under the beating lights.

The event was wrapped up with a pool-side brunch on Sunday morning, alongside the artists who contributed their work to the event. The event was started in 2008, and has become a staple of the 30A culture – an attraction for locals and visitors alike.