Artist Max Zorn creating an illuminated tape artwork by precisely cutting and layering brown packing tape.

Max Zorn transforms ordinary packing tape into luminous art

Tape Art

Tape art began quietly, on city walls and sidewalks, as artists discovered adhesive tape as a versatile, impermanent way to craft striking visuals without paint or permission. From those early urban experiments in the 1960s, it evolved into a dynamic artistic medium—covering everything from expansive murals to intricate installations that captivate both street corners and gallery spaces. Its simplicity and spontaneity drew a global following, bridging temporary street interventions with lasting artistic impact.

Among this creative genre, Max Zorn has been a key catalyst, melding street art energy with refined presentation. Since 2011, he’s layered brown packing tape onto acrylic, carved it by hand, and backlit the pieces on nocturnal Amsterdam lampposts. This blend of precision, ambiance, and storytelling helped bring tape art into art fairs, international festivals, and museum retrospectives like MUCA Munich’s City Lights

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