Walls with Paint: 1010

In 'Walls with Paint', Eindhoven local, photographer, and art fan Lukedaduke shares the story behind a special street art project in Eindhoven. This month: an optical illusion by artist 1010.

Every inhabitant or visitor of Eindhoven has been there: the 18 Septemberplein. The BLOB and the Bubble, the renewed HEMA, De Bijenkorf, and the big displays next to it; all objects that ask for your attention. In the middle of the square, there’s even more to see. Perhaps something even more notable than its surroundings: the entrances of the bike parking underneath the square.

The entrances have artwork painted by a German artist called 1010 in 2018. His name appears to be in binary code, but its origin is more straightforward. A photographer made a shot of some poster work the artist made in 2005. The figures wore the numbers 1 and 0. The photographer tagged the work ‘1010’, and the artist, who saw the photo, liked the tag and started using it as his artist name.

1010’s work is pulling you into the wall like an optical illusion. The colors change from big to small and become darker like there is an infinite hole painted on the tunnel walls. As a viewer, you get sucked into it. Like a tunnel in a tunnel.