Correct us if we’re wrong but in our memory, there hasn’t ever quite been a show like this here in Australia – and, as their press release says, possibly even outside of the USA.

There have, of course, been solo shows and group shows by many great galleries featuring top calibre artists from both the US and the rest of the world, but we’re hard pressed to think of an instance whereby someone has gone and put together a group show featuring some of the most influential NYC graffiti artists in history.

The list reads like a role call from books and movies such as Subway Art and Style Wars, ones that, growing up, were just images and names on paper or screen. RTIST Gallery has been pulling out all the stops this year, they’ve featured some of the best in the world, and now they’re heading down the road to the formative days of graffiti in the city that never sleeps, gathering up all the names they can for a massive display.

“In the 1970’s a spontaneous art movement exploded throughout New York City : Graffiti. RTIST Gallery is proud to host the Godfathers of this movement with a world first.

The New York City Kings group show will feature work from 24 of New York’s biggest train painters and bombers from various crews and train-lines covering the entire state of NYC. Exploring new and old work from the Kings who helped pioneer this world-wide movement, the exhibition will include original works on canvas, paper, maps, sketch books, photography and prints. “This could possibly be the largest line-up of NYC’s graffiti community ever assembled outside of the US” states Jeremy Gaschk Head Curator at RTIST. The RTIST space will be transformed with an explosion of installations to showcase the heart of the NYC graffiti movement and celebrate the artists that changed the world’s art scene forever. Live performances from Dj Peril and King Excel of the Zulu Nation Melbourne Chapter will also be spinning those rare east coast classics on the night.

Artists included in this Goliath show include:
PARTONE, TRACY 168, NOC 167, KET, EZO, GHOST, BLADE, MARE 139, FUZZONE, TKID, IZ THE WIZ, STAY HIGH, DUSTER, DOC, SYE, DOVES, WANE, CES, DASH, MERES, SONIC, INK, SPAR & QUIK

This show is Co-Curated by Jeremy Gaschk, Andrew Bourke and Federico Frum.”

We have heard that there may be a couple extra additions to this list of artists – just on to top off the mind blowing group of names, ya know? Who knows, it really doesn’t matter, what we see is already epic. Alongside everything else that has been happening in the last few months across the Melbourne graffiti world, this show is yet more icing on an already loaded cake.

It’s a rare thing these days for us to miss any show at RTIST, but if this was a ticketed event, we’d be one of those crazy dudes camping outside for two weeks just to make sure, 100%, that we got to see it.

Who: Partone, Tracy 168, Noc 167, Ket, Ezo, Ghost, Blade, Mare 139, Fuzzone, Tkid, Iz The Wiz, Stay High, Duster, Doc, Sye, Doves, Wane, Ces, Dash, Meres, Sonic, Ink, Spar & Quik
What: New York City Kings
Where: RTIST Gallery, 29 St Edmonds Rd, Prahran, VIC
When: Show opens Thursday 8th March at 7pm and runs til Sunday the 18th of March.

Check out the RTIST Gallery website and the Facebook event page for more info.