“Writing without letters – Part 5”, SWEETUNO, 2022, Thomas-Jefferson-Straße 36, 68309 Mannheim; Alexander Krziwanie / Stadt.Wand.Kunst

The mural “Writing without letters – Part 5” by SWEETUNO in Mannheim

SWEETUNO is creating his new mural under the title “writing without letters.” Cedric Pintarelli tells us that this is a “challenge” he has set for himself. In classic graffiti, the main focus is on writing letters, a skill he has mastered to perfection. The challenge on a wall as tall as a house, then, is to maintain “the gesture of writing”—that is, the dynamics of body movement, a “certain choreography”—without actually spraying any letters.

Instead, abstract symbols, shapes, and curving lines emerge. Impressions from the surroundings flow into the process: the construction site, the sounds, the atmosphere. SWEETUNO creates this abstract form of writing intuitively in the moment, without a draft or template. “I just see where my arm, my body, takes me. It happens independently of my mind. It’s an extremely liberating feeling. It’s a bit like free jazz on the wall,” he explains with a laugh.

Photos documenting the creation of the SWEETUNO mural

The video showing the creation of the SWEETUNO mural

SWEETUNO's mural on the map

Photos: Alexander Krziwanie