Google Project Aims to Make Street Art Immortal

From murals in Atlanta to graffiti in Tunisia, Google’s Street Art Project, which launches Tuesday, preserves and gives Internet access to more than 5,000 photographic records of otherwise impermanent artwork.

Google Cultural Institute‘s director Amit Sood says the project’s mission is to turn the world into “one huge open-air gallery for everyone to enjoy.”

“These works of art that decorate our streets do not always hang about for long, which is why we’re delighted to work with partners around the globe to help them tell a story of street art around the globe,” Sood said, referring to environmental and societal elements that threaten to destroy works of art created in public space.

Street art is at once a celebrated and reviled pastime. From humble beginnings as a vandal’s crime in New York City, street art has evolved to become globally accepted. Artists like Shepard Fairey and JR have seen their work attract attention in political campaigns and high society. However, street art can still be considered vandalism in many cases in the U.S. and around the world. This was proven in last year’s destruction of the iconic 5 Pointz in Queens. The street art initiative by Google provides a safe haven for these masterfully creative works.

One of the most important features is that the images are shown in their natural habitat, so the viewer can truly understand the space the art creates (quite an improvement over putting a Banksy piece in an auction). Not only does Google’s street art project preserve street art for time immemorial, but it provides a window into another world of art spanning the entire globe.