SPECTRUM R.A.D. with Zoow24

As a graffiti writer turned visual artist, Zoow24 (@zoow24) naturally links his artworks to reality. Along with his penchant for compulsive collecting and vinyl toys, he has strong ties with Off-White and the entire fashion system. As told by arts contributor Giovanni Spera, Zoow24 art naturally flows from the most intimate part of his inner self. May be described as a synchronous of dissonant frequencies, leading to a frantic search for an idea of “full and new” as opposed to today’s desolation.

Q. Nice to see you again Zoow24. Starting from the early 200s, Milan has always been one step ahead in terms of art, design and fashion. What would you bring back from that period?

A. If you asked me this question 15 years ago, I would have answered that writing was just a form of hating, born out of shortcomings. Talking about fashion, I preferred to spend money on sprays, since my clothes were always paint-dirty. Design would have been an easy take: ARTVANDALISM NEW YORK PARIS WAS MY BIBLE AND INSPIRATION. Now I have a different vision, I live by a unique concept made of these three single ideas. These days, I personally consider graffiti as the most spontaneous art form of the century - in all of their forms, from a trivial "I love you" wall writing to a tag made with white-out. By my years spent writing, I realized that the pieces compose themselves during the work - a flat or protruding material manipulates the style itself. I think my actual approach unintentionally recalls the nature of design somehow, and consequently of fashion, as both these two elements offer a clear picture of our society. And graffiti has never been a more integral part of society than now.

Q. Talking about graffiti writing, who were your main inspirations in the whole Milan scene? 

A. I MUST start from NEURO pieces all over the Garibaldi district, an indisputable staple for many. That was huge, making living in Milan feeling like NYC. I took pics and pics and tried to imitate this stuff but failed miserably. Not to mention all the wild styles from RAE, a true hero for the whole old school as well as other international figures such as DUMBO and LA MANO NAMI.I could easily point out a few more names, but those above are the ones who had a direct impact upon my artistic path. That said, when I look back I notice that middle school has somehow “killed” the style scene, shifting the attention from New York techniques to northern European ones, and highlighting actions above style. However, the truth is that actions and style can go along, but there are too many lazy people out there going just for the former. What would I like to bring back from 2000? Actually, I don't think a lot about the past, I prefer living in the present, which feels like a block of clay you can model as you want. Create, destroy and create again: the circle of life lies in the ephemeral beauty of a blink.

Q. After so many years of activity and research, how would you define your style?

A. Definitely NEWOLDSCHOOL, which is how a person above defined me while talking about my approach. A sort of graffiti 3.0, a conservative education reflected in a constantly evolving kaleidoscope of techniques.

Q. Scrolling down your Instagram feed and glancing around your studio, one comes across a huge amount of custom vinyl toys. How did you discover those very particular collectibles? And when did you make your first custom? 

A. Their original name is Sofubi, and they’re an underground market connected to graffiti culture and street art originally from Japan. The person who introduced me to these collectibles was Nicolò Rombolotti, a photographer with a great eye for details. You know, we are both fans of ‘80s toy blisters, and we went mad when we discovered Sofubis. 

Well, I love Sofubis as they’re the undeniable proof that toys are a form of art too. As a kid I loved Ninja Turtles, I used to collect Playmates pieces and stuff. Entering adulthood didn’t stop me from looking for new editions, but I gradually started noticing they were becoming less and less curated. Computer drawing replaced the manual activity, shifting the focus from shape to colors. Digital drawing softwares still cannot replace a pencil, therefore the result looks pretty unnatural. Quite like going from wildstyle to punk/trash in graffiti!

The real Sofubi artists hand-sculpt their characters, place the figure into a "Molden" (a metal scaffold for pouring vinyl rubber) and decide the amount of pieces to be sold from time to time.

Q. Speaking of vinyl toys, can you tell us more about NAGNAGNAG and the special bond you share?

A. NAGNAGNAG is a Japanese artist with multiple personalities, a figure shrouded in mystery about whom there are many legends, certainly the most important exponent in the world of Sofubi collecting. When I was in Japan there were very few tags, the graffiti scene was in a pretty embryonic stage, replaced by stickers and stencils. That said, NAGNAGNAG was the hardest name to be found on the walls, but also one of the most present. He made those terrific metal stickers he attached with a kind of concrete - visionary at least. Dubbed NAGBALLS as a tribute to the madballs, those stickers were often of the same colour as the surface they were attached to: while easily spotted by graffiti and street art insiders, they often went unnoticed by common people, creating the ultimate anti-buffing formula.

Q. Two huge topics here, technique and details.

A. Attention to details is the cornerstone of NAGNAGNAG technique. His toys are not for everyone, but specifically conceived for individuals with a special eye for beauty, connoisseurs and experts that appreciate the elaborate research process that lies behind sculptures. They are airbrushed by the artist in a maniacal way, and they were the first Sofubi on the market with moving eyes and hair, immediately imitated by other artists. The connection linking me and NAGNAGNAG is not a collaboration, but an exchange of views and ideas, made possible by Federico, one of the biggest Italian collectors of Sofubi, and fueled by our mutual respect. I love toys and I'm a great collector: NAGNAGNAG has always been part of my world and ‘m a great fan of him. Plus,I would have never designed anything with someone I don’t respect. 

Q. Besides the world of vinyl toys, what other pop culture elements have been an inspiration for your work?

A. I would definitely say ‘80s and ‘90s toys like Mattel, Playmates and Kenner. There’s a great docu-series on Netflix, "The Toys That Made Us", watch it!

Q. Maniacal collecting and daring visual research stand at the core of your artistic path. Are they connected with your early approaches to custom clothing? 

A. All these elements have a connection with the way I paint, and my custom clothing pieces are nothing but a natural evolution. I painted my first Burberry trench coat 6 years ago. The coat was later photographed by Highsnobiety and posted on Instagram, where it went viral. The idea of painting the coat was from my ex-girlfriend M.R. who was crucial for my first steps into fashion. At the time there was a huge demand and we sold a lot of custom coats and stuff, but then this trend became widespread and here we are. This story made me see that fashion lacked - and still does - a graffiti culture. Most of the writers and artists part of the scene are nothing more than fake figures who fueled the commercial speculation.

Q. From trains to collaborations with Off-White, passing through custom clothing and Bad Deal. What led you there and how do you rate your experience in fashion? 

A. My path was very tiring and totally uphill. I’ve always been alone in this shit, nobody explained to me how to reach fame or do things properly, nobody really helped me. Just nice words ending up in nothing. I fell many times and I always got up on my own. I founded Bad Deal with M.R. totally random. She was into fashion and I’m good at drawing, so our synergy led to this brand where she was the "taste and research" part while I gave a more "street" contribution. We completed each other's expertise, making up for each other's shortcomings. I think people never realized how important she was for the brand, as my name was the one to stand out. The goal of Bad Deal was to bring real writers, authentic creatives with a background in train writing, to the world of fashion, which is what Virgil Abloh is doing with more resources. I do respect him for that.

Q. Seen from the outside, your connection with Virgil looks pretty interesting.

A. Virgil is a really meritocratic person. He doesn't care about the name of how many followers you have, he’s focused on the result and how he feels mentally aligned with you. One of the first times I spoke to him he said a phrase like: "I’m doing this just to fuck up the fashion industry" - and he did it, facts. The project for Off-White was an initiative of GRAFFITI MILANO. They called about twenty Milanese writers and Virgil personally selected just a couple from the list, and I was among those.

Q. By witnessing this increasingly connection between writing, art and fashion, can we say that Virgil changed the rules with his multidisciplinary approach?

A. No doubts that a new era came with him. Thanks to Virgil, many other creatives now go beyond fashion itself, and it’s just the beginning. I liked the Off-White brand even before I started working for them: I had the “Vision” tee before the hype, the one featuring Caravaggio 'Deposition' printed over a Champion base. Then came a wave that saw everyone fucking with big prints and quotation marks and Jordan 1s - never seen so many people going crazy for a pair of sneakers. 

Q. Personally, I’m convinced that figures like yours could manage to eradicate from the minds of reactionaries the idea that graffiti is born on the street and must stay there forever. How does that sound to you? 

A. You can't make everyone accept your thoughts, whether they’re right or wrong. What you can do is make people face such indisputable facts so they can't help but re-evaluate their ideas. Talking about haters…well, haters gonna hate.

Q. What’s your relationship with social media? Do you think they’re a helpful tool for you job or, otherwise, they’re rather a double-edged sword?

A. I'm pretty sure they can be a double-edged sword. You have to know how to use them, as they can help you in an artistic path or destroy your career regardless. My Instagram is open but with some restrictions, still I don't use Facebook or Whatsapp. To be honest I don't like social media, I’ve barely posted 10% of my artwork. Come on, we’re talking about Instagram, a search engine for the copies of copies of people's ideas.

Q. How do you think NFTs could overturn the rules of the art market?

A. Talking with people about NFTs, it’s pretty clear they’re strongly convinced we’re dealing with a financial bubble and nothing else. Actually, very few people really understand the role of NFTs and are afraid to jump in. Bubbles are born, explode and recreate themselves bigger than before: it’s a kind of natural process. Nothing compares to easy money but we should all bear in mind that behind every success there is study, preparation, effort and devotion. A good marketing plan is, in my opinion, the key to consolidating your business. I think that NFTs will continue to provide a lot of satisfaction. It's a subject of great interest to me and I won't deny that I have a project in the making.

Q. Your journey into art has been incredible so far. What should we expect from the Zoow24 of the future? 

A. The last question is like the final scene of a movie, if your answer’s weak you risk losing all the momentum, no matter what you’ve said before. That said, I could give you a sneak peek at what I’m doing now, but then it would no longer be a surprise. I'd rather tell you to keep an eye on my Instagram, something really crazy is coming.

Inside the Resident Artist Decoder project, we engage international creatives across artistic paths, forms of expression and the influence of subcultures. Every Resident Artist rounds off the initiative creating a dedicated artwork, which is later printed on some shopper bags that are distributed exclusively in store.