The Illside of Town: Auckland Graffiti 2004-2011

At the turn of the century, Auckland City's graffiti scene was thriving. The streets were constantly evolving with active graffiti artists pushing everything from tags to large scale productions, with the wall's showcasing who was getting up, and a reminder of who once was. When New Zealand was selected to host the Rugby World Cup in 2011, plans were made to clean up the streets in preparation for thousands of incoming international visitors. In the 5 year build up to the tournament, Auckland City Council spent over 19 million taxpayer dollars buffing it's city streets, motorways and train lines. Years of Auckland's graffiti history was wiped out in exchange for lifeless grey walls. The lllside Of Town takes a look back into Auckland's graffiti landscape between 2004 - 2011, while the city streets were alive with colour, culture and creativity.