Urban Nation opened in Berlin in 2017 as the first museum dedicated to urban art, and the museum commissioned RETNA to paint its facade. Berlin has a unique relationship with street art — the city has been a canvas since the Wall fell, and the history embedded in every surface creates a context unlike any other. RETNA's facade composition employs warm tones: reds, oranges, gold, with black calligraphy cutting across the surface. The palette was deliberately chosen to stand against Berlin's frequently gray sky.The script is layered — black letters in the foreground, gold and white behind them, drips running downward as though the paint is still wet. The Urban Nation building is where visitors come to understand what urban art is and what it can be; placing his alphabet on its front facade carries a responsibility the artist took seriously. Berlin does not tolerate pretense, and the work meets the city on its own terms. RETNA's calligraphy — the same language he has been writing since his childhood in Los Angeles — becomes part of Berlin's ongoing conversation about art in public space. The museum's permanent collection lives inside; his alphabet lives on the outside, announcing the institution's mission before visitors cross the threshold.
