“Franklin”, MEINER, 2022, 22 Thomas-Jefferson-Straße, 68309 Mannheim; Alexander Krziwanie / Stadt.Wand.Kunst

The“FRANKLIN”mural by MEINER in Mannheim

While MEINER works on the facade of 22 Thomas-Jefferson-Straße for six days, construction cranes swing back and forth to his right and left, and the constant hum of construction noise fills the air. But with music in his ears, the 36-year-old artist—who was born and raised near Ludwigshafen—remains undeterred. Concentrated, he works with a spray can, tape, and a level, creating geometric shapes and overlapping spaces. Underlying it all are the letters that stem from his long history with graffiti and continue to shape his art to this day. At first glance, only an “i” is clearly visible, but MEINER reveals that the letters “f,” “r,” “a,” “n,” “k,” and “l” can also be found—together spelling out: FRANKLIN. The fact that the title lettering isn’t immediately apparent to viewers is, of course, intentional: “My design begins with an idea, which I then deconstruct again and again and reassemble.”

Franklin is not only hinted at in the abstract letters; the neighborhood is also reflected in the colors: dark anthracite, light gray, and sandy beige can be found in the immediate vicinity of the mural. The red corresponds to the color of SWEETUNO’s mural, which stands out prominently on the facade next door. The color serves as a unifying element between two works that are both shaped by graffiti yet are nevertheless extremely different. In contrast to SWEETUNO, who creates intuitively curved lines, MEINER works primarily with linear forms. “I work in a very structured way, and that is reflected in my work. The lines themselves, however, do not play a very important role; rather, it is the resulting surfaces, edges, and the space that emerges.”

Photos documenting the creation of the MEINER mural

The video about the creation of the MEINER mural

MEINER's mural on the map

Photos: Alexander Krziwanie