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Space Invader Signs Populate Paris

It seems like everybody does it eventually: Romans, Huns, Cossacks, Germans, even the bubonic plague took a shot. But now the city of Paris is being sacked by a new type of invader: Space Invaders. Mosaic-tile representations of characters from 8-bit computer games are popping up all over the City of Light, and the trend is spreading quickly.

These photos reveal the street art of the French urban artist aptly named Invader, who has been installing his creations around the world since 1998. The mosaic tiles are weather-resistant and difficult to damage, so they tend to last longer than other forms of underground art.

The next time you visit Paris, London, Geneva, Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Vienna, Amsterdam, Bilbao, Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, Bangkok, Tokyo, Katmandu, and even Mombasa, keep your eyes peeled for these colorful, otherworldly characters.

Jeff Russ

Jeff Russ is a content studio manager for SmartWork Media and was the senior art director of Signs of the Times from 1996-2021. A graphic designer and illustrator with an interest in sign design and sign history, Jeff documents important, interesting and notable design trends in the sign industry as a contributor to Signs of the Times. He has written dozens of features for Signs, and his column, Design Matters, was published for more than a decade.