Alec Monopoly is now an art provocateur for Tag Heuer.

Alec Monopoly

From July 2 to July 29, the Moscow Multimedia Art Museum on Ostozhenka is hosting an exhibition of Alec Monopoly, an iconic American street art artist and creative consultant for the watch brand TAG Heuer. Alec started painting graffiti at the age of 12 and, by his own admission, still sometimes takes a can of paint and paints city walls. This kind of art is not approved by the authorities, so the artist covers his face with a scarf.

Alec Monopoly calls Banksy his main name in art. Street creators are connected by anonymity and a critical attitude towards today's reality. Alec’s work is filled with irony for the world of finance, so in the wake of the 2008 crisis, the artist made a banker in a top hat from the game “Monopoly” the main character and mascot. This character appeared under the name Rich Uncle Pennybags. pennybags from English - "bags of coins"), became known as Mr. Monopoly, and in the Alec Monopoly universe his name is Monops. Alec also drew another pop culture character from the world of big money - the richest drake in the world, Scrooge McDuck. scrooge from English - "miser").

Alec Monopoli sold his first work at the age of 12 for $500; today his paintings cost tens of thousands. Fans of Alec's work include movie stars Seth Rogen, Robert De Niro and Adrien Brody, pop star Miley Cyrus, and legendary rapper Snoop Dogg. The street artist managed to work in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Singapore, Paris and many other cities in Europe and Asia.

In 2016, Alec Monopoly became a creative consultant for the Swiss avant-garde brand TAG Heuer, whose motto “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” corresponds to the spirit of the artist’s work. Officially, Alec’s position is called “art provocateur”. In July 2018, the turn came for the first personal exhibition in Moscow!

TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver and Alec Monopoly

Alec Monopoly x TAG Heuer exhibition in Moscow

Alec Monopoli personally came to Moscow for the opening of an exhibition at the Multimedia Art Museum. The artist painted the Russian balalaika in his recognizable manner, turning the traditional musical instrument into a unique art object. The opening was attended by stars of Russian show business: Timati, Andrey Malakhov, Feduk, Igor Vernik, Sergey Mezentsev, Ingrid Olerinskaya and others. At the end of the evening, a charity auction was held in favor of the Friends charity foundation.

The process of creating a street art masterpiece

The joyful atmosphere of the event is conveyed by the video chronicle of the premiere day.

Opening of the Alec Monopoly x TAG Heuer exhibition - video

Exclusive Alec Monopoly x TAG Heuer watches

Since the start of cooperation in 2016, the TAG Heuer line has released a number of interesting watches created with the participation of Alec Monopoly. In 2017, a special model was released in the Formula 1 collection - the dial depicts a character in a Mr. Monopoly jacket and top hat, but with his face covered with a scarf. The hero, combining the features of the artist's mascot and Alec himself, is called Monopi and is often found in his works.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Alec Monopoly Limited Edition Watch

In Moscow, visitors to the exhibition will see a unique TAG Heuer Carrera watch, painted by Alec in the style of street art. Featuring the TAG Heuer Caliber Heuer 01 and a skeletonized dial, this automatic chronograph is TAG Heuer's bestseller, inspired by motor racing. At the same stand is the TAG Heuer Aquaracer model, also carefully customized by the graffiti maestro. This is a classic dive watch and an example of bright masculine style.

TAG Heuer Carrera and TAG Heuer Aquaracer watches at the exhibition of Alec Monopoly and TAG Heuer at the Multimedia Art Museum on Ostozhenka - video

Also, the organizers of the exhibition in Moscow presented a special edition of the Connected Modular 45 smart watch. The dial of each of the 300 limited edition pieces is decorated with an image of a familiar character in a top hat and with a scarf on his face.

Special edition Connected Modular - only 300 units

The exhibition in Moscow features 17 paintings and 2 art objects: a sculpture of Mr. Monopoli, symbolizing the partnership between Alec Monopoly and TAG Heuer, as well as a balalaika with an exclusive painting.

Monops sculpture

The canvases depict Monops, Monopy and Richie Rich - a character from comics, cartoons and films, a millionaire child. Like other Alec Monopoly heroes, he is associated with the world of finance.

Exposition

Steve McQueen and the TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Edition watch

A special place is occupied by avant-garde portraits of Steve McQueen in the role of racer Michael Delaney from the film “Le Mans”. This is an iconic character for the TAG Heuer brand - he appeared in the picture with a square TAG Heuer Monaco chronograph on his hand. The model's popularity soared after the film's release.

Many are interested in the man who wears a hat and a bandana to cover his face: Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Alec Monopoly. He hides his identity for two reasons. According to him, he is forced to do this for legal reasons. He was pursued by cops in New York and his lawyer said he should remain anonymous.

Over the past few years, street graffiti has become more and more interesting, and quite a few street artists have gained popularity by creating such works while maintaining their anonymity. Alec Monopoly is the man known as the "Kim Kardashian" of the art world. Monopoli, whose real name is Alec Endon, started out as a street artist but has now become famous all over the world. Not too surprising for the son of wealthy New York financiers.

He is a brand ambassador for TAG Heuer, which produces watches. Swiss watchmakers call him the company's "art provocateur." He also produced artistic works. He creates original works for the brand and transforms their boutiques into art galleries. Working with watchmakers was his lifelong dream. He dreamed of designing his own watch and having his artwork depicted on the dial of the watch. His clients have already included such celebrities as Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Adrien Brody and Miley Cyrus.

Artist Alec Monopoly likes to wear a hat, but his face is usually covered with a bandana. He admits that his real passion is graffiti and walls. He said that Wynwood Walls, an area in Miami, is just an amazing place for creativity. This is because you can draw on the walls there without worrying about the police arresting you for vandalism. Monopoly remains behind a mask, but doesn't shy away from anything when it comes to his evolving art.

Why Alec Monopoly hides his face

Alec Monopoly began his career in New York. Since he is a graffiti artist, he had to paint the walls of the city. The local police didn't like it. They tried their best to track him down. Because of this persecution, he was forced to hide his face. To continue the development of his creativity, the artist moved to Los Angeles.

Despite his popularity at the moment, he still poses for photos with his face covered. He fills his Instagram content with photos of himself wearing masks and gas masks. Sometimes there are photographs where he simply covers his face with his hand. Monopoly says it's a way to keep the art world focused on his work and not his face.

As part of his first visit to Moscow, famous street artist and trap DJ Alec Monopoly painted graffiti dedicated to the Russian capital

The plot of the graffiti is based on sticker packs invented by participants in the global sticker art competition Viber’s Sticky Fingers 2: My City, My Vibe. The basis was
Kupiki by Paramon Parfenov and I love Moscow by Tanya Zaytseva, which won special sympathy from the TimeOut.Ru editors. Alec Monopoly's style, unlike most graffiti artists who prefer large-scale abstract canvases, is characterized by working
with specific characters around whom the viewer’s attention is concentrated. Moscow graffiti at VINZAVOD, the creation of which also involved the winner of the first season of the Viber’s Sticky Fingers competition Stanislav aka drawkman, fits into the outline of Alec Monopoly’s concept, developing at the intersection of pop art, cultural criticism and social protest.

The work on the project was followed by Alec's friends and fans around the world in his personal Viber public chat, where he kept a photo diary of his first visit to Russia. Among other interesting shots, there is even a photo of the artist with the famous Russian rapper Timati from their joint walk along Red Square. By downloading Alec Monopoly's original sticker pack from the Viber sticker store, you automatically subscribe to his public chat.

5 Surprising Facts About Alec Monopoly

• He considers it unfair when his success is attributed to the wealth of his parents and their connections. The artist claims that his family was neither rich nor poor - an ordinary family with average income. Alec's popularity today is the result of hard work and determination, and no amount of fees will affect his loyalty to his ideals.
• An idea can easily drown your favorite Rolls-Royce. What can you do for the sake of art!..
• One day he dropped everything and flew several thousand kilometers to fix memorial graffiti in honor of his friend, which had been damaged by attackers.
• Believes in karma and loves the color pale blue.
• Single, free, open to new meetings and experiences.

Before applying the final touches, on the eve of the presentation of the finished drawing on the “Wall” to the city, Alec gave an exclusive interview as part of a lecture with the curator of the exhibition

Viber's Sticky Fingers by Miloslav Chemodanov. Alec Monopoly spoke about the ups and downs of his creative path and the specifics of working in the genre of graffiti and sticker art and shared his views on current trends in world street art. The public talk ended with a spectacular performance: Alec Monopoli painted another graffiti right in front of the audience. The artist depicted a traditional figure on a special canvas
Mr. Monopoly in full size.

Especially for the site, the controversial street artist Alec Monopoly painted an unusual portrait of the new American it-girl Sofia Richie, and Liana Satenstein recorded what they talked about during the session.

Photo: Dusan Reljin. Hair: Leonardo Manetti. Makeup: Anne Kolhagen. Production: Eli MizrahiPhoto: Dusan Reljin; Courtesy of Alec Monopoly Alec Monopoly

Today, in a New York studio on Chelsea Piers, two people meet who managed - albeit in completely different ways - to become stars of social networks. On the one hand, there is the rising it-girl 17-year-old Sofia Richie, the daughter of singer and composer, author of multi-platinum albums Lionel Richie, the sister of the first it-girl of the early 2000s, Nicole Richie.

Today is her turn to be in the spotlight. Sofia is being hunted by the paparazzi, her fan club is constantly growing, and the number of followers on Instagram is about to reach a million: both of them love the way she combines Saint Laurent items with casual clothes. Now Sofia is finishing her school course with private teachers and is going to enter Parsons School of Design to study fashion and then launch her own clothing brand.

On the other hand is street artist and graffiti master Alec Monopoly, who is not at all ashamed of his love for everything flashy. Justin Bieber of the art world. Non-trivial murals and paintings, improvisation on the theme of contemporary art of the early 2000s and a bold social position attracted the attention of stars, in particular rapper Future and socialite Khloe Kardashian, who can easily go out in the evening with a Birkin bag decorated by him.

At first, Monopoli seems to crave everyone's attention: he shines like a new penny - he is dressed from head to toe in Philipp Plein, he has numerous gold chains around his neck, and a massive watch with diamonds on his wrist. But in reality, everything is completely different: Monopoli is afraid of the police and never appears in public with his face open. The happy owner of a Rolls Royce and an address in Beverly Hills prefers to remain in the shadows, as at the very beginning of his journey. He sold his first painting in high school for $500, and became famous and acquired the pseudonym Monopoly during the financial crisis in 2008, when he first made his signature graffiti of the old man in a top hat from the game Monopoly.

What brought Richie and Monopoly together? Richie will pose and Monopoly will paint her portrait in the artist's typically dazzling, vibrant style. They chat with each other as they go, and Monopoly even takes a break to cover Sofia's shoes with paint and writing. "Super!" - she admires. When the shoot comes to an end, they take a photo together for Instagram. And then “likes” pour in like an avalanche on both of them, like money in Monopoly.

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Alec Monopoly: Where did you grow up?

Sofia Richie: In Beverly Hills. And you?

A.M.: In NYC. I was constantly getting into trouble there because of my graffiti. Four years ago, I even had to flee to Los Angeles when the cops raided my studio. I hopped on a train to New Jersey and then continued on. Six months later I was finally caught, and I had serious problems. That's why I hide my face: my graffiti is illegal.

S.R.: How has your family influenced you?

A.M.: My mother is an artist, so I learned to draw along with reading. What about your relatives? S.R.: My father and sister are workaholics who love their work. And - although this may be hard to believe - they didn’t help me at all. So I started looking for myself and making my own way.?

A.M.: I think he's cool. I love to draw, and thanks to him, I had the opportunity to take a portrait of my friend and show my work to a new audience. I'm very happy about this.

S.R.: What do you think about our obsession with social media?

A.M.: I'm a fan of social networks - I spend all my time on Snapchat and Instagram. Both here and there I am Alec Monopoly - I try not to invent anything complicated. Typically, I paint my graffiti on the streets or in art galleries, and people are scattered all over the world, and most of them do not go to galleries. Through social networks I can show my work to a large number of people. How do you feel about your popularity on social networks and everyone’s attention?

S.R.: This is a new feeling for me, I’m interested. And it’s not easy, because now my every move is being watched. But I still like it: now I can influence many people. Why do you prefer to remain anonymous?

A.M.: This is how the world of graffiti works. People ask me all the time: “Why do you hide your face?” People don't understand that I try to remain anonymous. Anonymity means the freedom to draw where you like, despite all the rules and laws. And at the same time, you don’t have to be afraid that you will be arrested, because no one knows who you really are. I was constantly getting into trouble because of my graffiti. Four years ago, I even had to run away when the cops raided my studio.

One day I was playing Monopoly and saw on the news Bernie Madoff, a businessman and former chairman of the board of directors of the NASDAQ stock exchange, who in 2009 was sentenced to 150 years in prison for the largest financial fraud. I thought there was some irony in this, and after that incident I began to depict “Mr. Monopoly” in my works. And with him - Scrooge McDuck and Richie Richie. My works convey a positive message and symbolize wealth and prosperity. They also glorify life. One of my favorites is on a building in Camden Lock in London. Every day new photos of her appear on Instagram, I understand that thousands of people see her, and this brings great satisfaction. By the way, about Instagram. I can recommend two very inspiring accounts: @artlife and @taxcolletion - they are incredibly cool.

I love watches because it is part of fashion, another way of self-expression. This is especially important for me, because I have to hide my face.

It's funny how people recognize me with a mask on, but they don't recognize me without it... You can use a watch to show the world who you are. I love “expensive bling,” as my rapper friends call jewelry. It was thanks to them that I became interested in jewelry.

If an artist wants to spread his ideas, collaboration is a smart way to achieve what he wants. I think like a graffiti artist: it is important for me that my work appears in the busiest place in the city, where as many people as possible can see it. That's why I'm collaborating with TAG Heuer, a brand that is known and respected all over the world. I find working as an art consultant for TAG Heuer very cool. This 360-degree partnership is, to me, like a marriage. On the one hand, I am a brand ambassador, I wear their watches, I attend events. On the other hand, I work at a factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds - they gave me a separate studio there - I come up with a new watch design. And finally, I transform TAG Heuer boutiques into art galleries.

Just imagine: a Swiss watch boutique in the format of a graffiti gallery!

Mr. Biver (Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of the Board of TAG Heuer - MC) truly understands how an artist works. Therefore, the company trusted me and gave me the freedom to do what I saw fit. Almost all of my ideas, which I talked about at the very first meeting with Mr. Beaver and Valerie (Valérie Servajon, marketing director of the brand - MC), were implemented. We're still working on the rest. For example, the preparation of our joint exhibition at MAMM, which took place in July, took a whole year.

I can tell you one funny story. Seth Rogen, comedian and screenwriter, once had dinner at a Japanese restaurant next to which there is my mural. Through my website I receive a letter: “I want to buy a print of this work.” I see that the letter is from Seth Rogen, and I think: wait, is this the same Seth Rogen? It turned out to be the same one. I called him to my studio and told him that instead of a print, I would make a canvas for him. Then I lived in Sean Combs's mansion in Beverly Hills, in a guest house. Seth arrives and says, “Wow, you live here? I need to become a street artist!” He was just like on the screen: very cheerful and pleasant, laughing all the time with his famous laugh.