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Due to its accessibility in our daily environment and its appropriation of popular culture, street art is a medium that is increasingly appreciated by tourists. Highlighted even on institutional sites , it is a vector of playful and amusing discovery. Today we suggest that you guide your walks in several European cities by none other than the Smurfs.
There is a beginning to Smurf
I Pixel di Oplontis (or IPDO ) is a collective led by Francesco and Bruno. In 2018, the two friends discovered the Invaders mosaics and the application that allows them to hunt them around the world. They became active trackers, to the point of connecting with the artist's community and becoming "reactivators": they recreate or repair mosaics that have been destroyed, damaged or even stolen. Because street art is ephemeral, a disgruntled owner, a municipality that considers it as degradation or simply because of a facade renovation or exposure to weather phenomena, the fate of a work can be sealed. After about thirty restorations, bitten by the virus themselves, they decided to launch into this discipline.
If Bruno takes care of the technical realization of the works, it is Francesco who is the Creative of the duo. It is on his initiative that the collective is named I Puffi di Oplontis (the Smurfs of Oplontis), in homage to the Roman name of his birthplace Torre Annunziata in Italy and to the creation of Peyo, of whom he has always been a fan. This popular figure will be the common thread of their mosaics. The first mosaics therefore saw the light of day in 2018, first in Paris, then in Naples, before spreading across Western Europe, with a detour to Los Angeles. In all, more than 350 mosaics have been created by the duo.
Passion at the service of the Smurf
Created out of passion because, today, this activity only allows them to reimburse the material used to make the mosaics. The collages are mainly made by opportunities: on the occasion of an away match of the Paris Football Club of which they are supporters, visiting friends or family, vacations. For these collages outside Paris, Bruno strives to connect the mosaics to local history or culture, which he takes the opportunity to "Smurf" in passing. If the competition from street art is tough in Paris, it finds a more benevolent echo outside the capital, with the example of the city of Vannes which contacted them for an exhibition and an auction.
On their website , still under construction at the time of writing, IPDO offers a shop where you can purchase original works. There is also a discussion about a foray into the virtual world of NFTs…
On your marks, get set, Smurf!
In 2022, after several months of work, they followed in Invader's footsteps by releasing their own application to track mosaics. For the occasion, a name change was necessary: if they had the authorization of the rights holders to parody the Smurfs and use their image, the name Puffi did not belong to them. So they replaced Puffi with Pixel, while keeping the same initials.
On the application, a map allows you to locate the position of the mosaics. Once there, you just have to flash the work to see it appear in your personal list. The program uses the player's location, as well as the recognition of the works to validate the flashing. Each work thus identified earns a certain number of points. A general ranking and between friends allows you to follow your progress in obtaining a high score .
This is a fun way to liven up a walk, especially if you are accompanied by children. The walk thus becomes a fun treasure hunt. So don't hesitate to check if IPDO mosaics are available near you or at your next vacation spots. Very active, Bruno and Francesco have not finished covering our walls with the Smurfs, so don't hesitate to get started!
To download the application , click here on the iOS appstore and here on the ANDROID Play Store . A video presentation of the app is available on the official website as well as below.