Stop 1: Rothsay Lane

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Over the years, Invader’s works have become iconic to Melbourne’s streetscape. His name originates from his sprites and pixel aesthetic which stems from the 1970s and 80s, and bears resemblance to the arcade classic “Space Invaders”. However his works are not confined to this one reference, especially in more recent waves of “invasions”, as he calls them.

During these invasions, more artwork will mysteriously surface in the streets overnight. Invader believes each of these waves increases his personal “score”, in a similar fashion to classic arcade games, in which the aim is to gain the highest score.

In reference to scores, if a piece of Invader’s artwork is scanned by the “flashinvaders” app on one’s phone, the user will receive 10 to 100 points towards their own score in reward for capturing the Invader. For example, this particular piece is worth 30 points. As this tour progresses, feel free to try to gain some points for yourself at each stop.

This particular piece has been placed at a very accessible height, and in a bright red, which contrasts with the wall against it. This placement has unfortunately led to significant damage to one of his better-known works in Melbourne.