Authorities in Málaga are looking into whether a prolific, video game-inspired artist may finally have invaded the wrong space, after one of his idiosyncratic mosaics appeared on the wall of the episcopal palace in the southern Spanish city.



The French artist, known as Invader, claims to have created almost 3,500 works in 71 cities around the world. According to his website, the Space Invader project, which began in 1998, is “about liberating art from its usual alienators that museums or institutions can be. But it is also about freeing the Space Invaders from their video games TV screens and to bring them in our physical world”.

His latest piece, a flamenco dancer depicted in his trademark pixel mosaic, has drawn the attention of the diocese of Málaga, which says it did not give permission for the work that graces the palace wall.

“The bishop of Málaga is not questioning the work’s artistic quality,” the diocese said. “But he considers that the palace’s facade, which is classified as site of cultural interest and protected [by law], is not an appropriate place for it.”

The diocese said it had asked the city council to have it removed and had also sought similar action from the regional government’s culture department.

“The diocese hopes that steps will soon be taken to address what could be considered visual pollution of the building,” it added.

Arte callejero por las calles de Málaga con Invader #streetart #malaga #poliedricom #flamenca #pixel #estoMola #santamaria #photooftheday #invader A post shared by Poliédricom (@poliedricom) on Jun 1, 2017 at 12:27am PDT

The city’s mayor, Francisco de la Torre, said he would see what the regional culture department had to say on the matter. However, while he insisted the council would “do whatever was necessary”, he pointed out that the mosaics could be seen as “the work of a recognised artist, which possess some value” that could possibly be of benefit to a city.



Monsalud Bautista, the regional culture delegate, said that an Invader mosaic had appeared on another protected palace in the city and an investigation was under way.



“Any intervention involving a protected building … requires the necessary permission,” she told El País. “It seems that no such permission was sought in this case.” Bautista added that any unauthorised action involving a protected building was subject to penalties.

However, tracking down the artist could prove difficult. Invader, who compares his work to “urban acupuncture”, calls himself a UFA – Unidentified Free Artist – and hides behind a pseudonym and mask.