Graffiti fans in New York should head down to Dumbo tomorrow night for a benefit auction that’s billing itself as the largest collection of global graffiti ever assembled in one place. Hundreds of works such as "Roboy" by NYC Lase (pictured) will be up for grabs with proceeds from The Walls Belong to Us going to the legal defense fund of Alan Ket, an artist and the publisher of several important books on the history of graffiti. Last March the police raided his house, seized materials for an upcoming book and slapped him with nine separate charges ranging from criminal mischief in the second degree to possession of graffiti tools. Ket faces a possible 20 years in prison in what has become increasingly clear is a politically motivated attempt to silence a writer, publisher, historian and artist whose work popularizes an art form criminalized by city government policy.
Come out and support the cause. Tickets are $30 (Aug. 1, 6-9 pm; Powerhouse Arena, 37 Main St., Brooklyn; music by DJ Soul) and are available here.
