Tape art is art made with adhesive tape. Max Zorn uses translucent brown and coloured packing tape, cutting it with a scalpel and layering it by hand on acrylic glass. Each extra layer holds back more light, allowing him to build shadows, faces, reflections and entire city scenes without paint or printing.

The light is part of the artwork. An illuminated frame sends light through the tape and acrylic glass, revealing the depth and colour in the layers. What looks like a cinematic painting from a distance is a physical construction of hand-cut tape.

Max began putting these artworks on Amsterdam’s street lamps in 2011. That street-art beginning is still part of the work: a familiar material, a city after dark, and a picture that comes alive in the light.

Explore tape art, its history and Max’s technique.

Watch Max at work in this CBS Sunday Morning feature.

Yes, each Similar Original is an original artwork. Max makes every piece by hand from the beginning, one strip and one layer of packing tape at a time.

Some pieces belong to a limited series of Similar Originals. Max returns to the same composition, much like a musician playing the same song, but there is no printer, mould or mechanical reproduction involved. He rebuilds the entire image in tape on acrylic glass. Each artwork is individually signed and develops its own small differences.

The series size tells you how many original artworks belong to that composition. When a series on this page is marked sold out, all the original artworks in that listed series have sold.

The image may be familiar. The artwork itself has only been made once.

Old movies, photographs and literature have shaped the worlds Max creates. Americana, Spaghetti Westerns, New York, New Orleans, the Roaring Twenties and the 1950s are part of that background. He discussed those influences in an interview with Art Republik.

You can see different sides of that world here: the film-noir street in China Town Red, the roadside diner in Diner by the sea, the aircraft in 90 Miles, and the crowded bar in A heartbeat apart. Some scenes feel familiar without belonging to one exact place or story. That leaves room for the viewer to imagine a story of their own.

Max Zorn’s work has travelled from Amsterdam’s street lamps to museums, international art fairs and public installations. Highlights include City Lights at Munich’s Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA), the Arethusa Collection exhibition at Hill-Stead Museum in Connecticut, and projects with Amsterdam’s EYE Filmmuseum, Amsterdam Museum and Dutch Resistance Museum.

International appearances include SCOPE Miami Beach, Aqua Art Miami, Moniker in London, District 13 in Paris, and art fairs in Hong Kong and Singapore. He also created Huckleberry for SXSW’s Eco Light Garden in Austin, and has presented his work at TED in Amsterdam and, with Audrey Sykes, TEDxTUM in Munich.

Explore the exhibitions, museum projects and international art fairs.

CNN Style, BBC News and CBS Sunday Morning have featured Max Zorn’s tape art, alongside Deutsche Welle and NBC Texas Today. His work has also been covered by the Financial Times, Artsy and Süddeutsche Zeitung. In its review of London’s Moniker Art Fair, the Financial Times described the pictures’ “Hollywood-noir glamour”.

The international press archive brings together the films, interviews and reviews. It is a good place to see the process and hear Max talk about the ideas behind it.

Max Zorn’s work has been appearing at auction since 2014, with recorded sales at Digard and Tajan in Paris, Julien’s in Los Angeles, Chiswick Auctions in London and, more recently, Heritage Auctions in 2026. The record includes small illuminated cigar-box originals as well as larger framed artworks.

The Max Zorn auction-results archive brings together sale dates, artwork titles, estimates, recorded prices and links to individual auction lots. It gives you a view of the work’s auction history alongside the exhibition and press records.

In December 2026, Max will be showing exclusively with The Sykes Gallery at Art Miami, 1–6 December, during Miami Art Week.

For enquiries about the presentation or the artworks, you’re welcome to write to Audrey and Max at buy@maxzorn.com.

The artworks shown on this page are sold out, but Max keeps some pieces aside for exhibitions and museum shows. Occasionally one becomes available. Write to buy@maxzorn.com and Audrey or Max will check what may be possible. You can send a piece you like, or an approximate size and price range. Newsletter subscribers receive the details of upcoming Special Releases first. The next release opens on 12 December 2026. You are also welcome to enquire about a commission.

A Special Release, long known as a Special Sale, is the exclusive online launch of Max’s new annual art collection. Original tape artworks in different sizes and price ranges are offered directly from the studio at introductory prices.

The next release opens on 12 December 2026. The opening time and participation window will be announced on the Special Release page before launch. Newsletter subscribers will receive the details first.

Half the available pieces in each series will be allocated first come, first served; the other half by lottery. Read more about Special Releases.

A series of Similar Originals is not necessarily made in full before it is offered. Each artwork is created individually, so popular compositions can take time to complete.

Max creates these as lasting artworks. The tape layers are sealed between acrylic panels, including UV-resistant glazing, and illuminated with low-heat LEDs. This construction helps protect the tape from air and humidity and reduces its exposure to ultraviolet light.

For display, choose a place away from prolonged direct sunlight and strong heat. The LED system is modular, so its lighting components can be replaced without remaking the tape artwork. If you would like advice about a particular piece or where to hang it, Audrey and Max are happy to help.

Read the guide to materials, longevity and caring for a Max Zorn artwork.

Light is what brings tape art to life. As with stained glass, it passes through the layers to reveal the image. Max builds custom light boxes with warm, low-temperature LED lighting, adjusted to each artwork.

Dimmers and switches are not included. If you would like to add them, Audrey or Max can help you find a compatible option.

The lighting uses a modular system, so components such as the adapter or LED strip can be replaced. If a part stops working, contact buy@maxzorn.com for guidance through the replacement.

Yes. The light boxes use mains electricity rather than batteries. An adapter suitable for your region and an extension cord are included with your purchase. The thin cable can usually be routed discreetly behind or beside the artwork.

You can pay by bank transfer or PayPal. Payment is due once your questions have been answered and you have confirmed that you would like to go ahead with the purchase.

Yes. Installment payments are available, usually starting with a 20 percent down payment. The remaining amount can be split into three or six monthly installments.

For all direct purchases, the listed price includes the lightbox, worldwide shipping, taxes, tariffs and import handling. Your artwork arrives ready to hang.

Audrey or Max will walk through the details with you before you decide. The work may be unusual, but buying it does not need to be.