Before and After Photographs of 5Pointz Mural Site

5Pointz graffiti murals in Queens, was a monument to graffiti art. In 2013 it was transformed into a bleak gray luxury highrise, sucking the soul out of the neighbourhood. 

Left: Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic / Right: Valentina Di Liscia/Hyperallergic

Two decades’ worth of murals by legendary street artists were illegally whitewashed overnight at the request of developer Jerry Wolkoff. Nine of the artists sued Wolkoff for failing to give notice and preventing them from documenting or preserving their work prior to the building’s demolition. They won but their work is gone forever.

Read More: Hyperallergic