City hall versus sprayers

City hall battle against sprayers lasts many years. Now it seems that Prague wins. In year 2002 sprayers damaged in Prague6 35 per cents of buildings. In 2005 it is only 4 per cents. Prague hall decided for hard action against sprayers and their “creations”. When sprayer paint a building, Prague magistrate deletes their work in 24 hours. Sprayers have no chance to show their work for public and one of their strongest motivations is away.

In Prague is sprayers community in number of 300 firmly connected to music genre of hip-hop. As one ex-sprayers says, people are spraying because of bore and Adrenalin of being caught. Sprayers and his work is very similar to exhibitionism. Sprayers are mostly males in age of sixteen with no or small sexual experience and spraying is a way how to shock a public.

Now sprayers in Prague have more problems to make their “art” in public places. Prague washes their work with water, uses chemicals or simple repainting. Where it is possible, like buildings which are not monuments, anti-sprayer paint is used. This makes facade easy to clean just with wet sponge. Painting the trains or another parts of public transport is now very hard, because depots are protected with guards and camera systems. And after all, when sprayer is caught he will have serious problems with law: the spraying is valued as a crime.