Helsinki graffiti

First released on the Night of the Arts in August 1998, Helsinki Graffiti is the first Finnish-language illustrated publication dedicated to the subject of graffiti art. Both the first and second editions sold out immediately. The book became the bible of Finnish graffiti enthusiasts and a collector’s rarity also coveted in bootleg version.

Helsinki Graffiti is a popular nonfiction title that tells the story of graffiti from the viewpoint of graffiti artists. The book traces the history of Finnish graffiti art from the early 1980s until 1998, when the City of Helsinki launched its zero-tolerance anti-graffiti campaign.

Now this cult book is back in a high-quality, hardcover edition marking its 25^th anniversary. The original content is supplemented by over 60 previously unpublished photos from the 1980s and 1990s. In his extensive personal epilogue, Deputy Mayor Paavo Arhinmäki describes the history of Helsinki’s graffiti art from 1998 onwards, from the dramatic years of zero tolerance to recent milestones such as legal graffiti walls and graffiti artists featured in museum exhibitions.