System Smash Berlin Subway Writing 2018-2021

‘System Smash – The Golden Era Of Berlin Subway Writing 2018–2021’ is a photography book edited by Peter Stelzig that documents a unique four-year period for graffiti on Berlin’s underground trains. Between 2018 and 2021, an exceptional combination of strikes, lockdowns and a shortage of carriages forced the transport operator BVG to leave hundreds of painted trains in service for months without being able to clean them. This 196-page hardback volume, written in German and English, captures this temporary ‘golden age’ through over 500 photographs showing the evolution and layering of the graffiti on the carriages. The photographic narrative is enriched by anecdotes and reflections from Berlin’s best-known crews, as well as the unique perspective of a metro driver, transforming the work into a valuable historical and anthropological document on the underground culture of the German capital. Among the writers and crews featured are BOKS, VOLVO, FSR, MR.TEE, 180, ILTS, JEICO, THC, RA and RWRZ, Denk, Joys, Lion, Sieger and many others.