In 2012 the trainwriter Aurel Johannes Marx made the plan to paint 100 pieces within 31 days. Shortly after the
TOPSPRAYER™ book came out, which did show that a clearly measurable output can make a great concept for a publication, it was time for the next big book project: VIVA ROMA. That meant: spending one month in Rome, having access to all the spots, 3000 cans to empty, two photographers for the documentation and being accompanied by the crème de la crème of the German trainwriting scene. Or short: the perfect conditions to fulfill this insane mission.
Starting in 1986, trainwriting became the protagonist’s most important thing in life over the years. Traveling the continent and checking off systems, he found perfect conditions in Rome to evolve an individual painting style in the late 2000s. So Italy’s capital and its surrounding net of commuter yards were the spots of action, when the 100 pieces project took place ten years ago.
While each night his companions took their time and painted a piece each, he had to paint two, three or four in a row. When actions failed, the next night even more pieces had to be done, just to reach the aimed quota. Getting home from spots, often 150km away, waiting at the Termini or Ostiense station every morning to take photos, became part of the daily routine. When driving, painting, spotting, eating and sleeping seemed like a dream came true in the first days, it slowly turned into an exhausting rat race against time.
VIVA ROMA is an authentic, emotional and self-reflecting narration on failing by one of Europe’s most active and innovative trainwriters. Based on the original travel diary the author looks back on a journey, that changed his life and became his personal coming-of-age story. The 244-paged hardcover features mostly exclusive content from DROW, ACID79, MOSES, TAPS, Good Guy Boris, OTIS, CHILL, DEMO, ALIAS, BRANKO, ABOUT, BECAUSE, CRAP, and HAKER.