Augsburg court hit the 25-year-old identified as Bernhard T. with a steep fine and probation for 470 counts of graffiti vandalism, causing damages estimated at €70,000.

His flowers bloomed from mail boxes, garage doors, building walls and vending machines, appearing between autumn 2010 and spring 2011.

The “flowers of Augsburg” Augsburgblumen became a cult symbol of the city; with their own Facebook page and appeared on a range of products including badges and fridge magnets. 

The city government even toyed with the idea of using the design as a marketing symbol, but then back-pedalled and denounced the flowers, vowing to sue for damages, said the Augsburg Allgemeine newspaper. 

Bernhard T. said he had meant them as a ‘nice gesture.’

“I wanted to make the world a little more beautiful,” he told the paper.

The prosecutor had called for him to be jailed two years in jail, as he had a prior conviction. 

But Judge Michael Nißl was lenient on him, because his confession saved investigators an expensive and lengthy investigation, the Augsburg Allgemeine said.

He also showed remorse. “I know that I really made a mess. I’m sorry,” he said. 

Nißl fined him €12,000 and gave him a ten-month suspended sentence. 

But even he couldn’t resist being somewhat creative himself, telling the defendant, “If you commit another crime, your future will be neither rosy nor flowery.” 

thelocal.de, 19.09.12.

This event featuring work created by artists and projected onto the sides of some of the cities’ tallest buildings will take place on the evenings of May 14th and 15th.  Artists Shepard Fairey, Saber,Risk, Eddie Colla, Sage Vaughn, Lydia Emily, Van Arno, D Young V, Paul Barron, FilthGrime, and Hugh Leeman among others will see their work displayed on the largest of scales.  

A powerful mobile projection system will cast giant images in a number of locations. Followers will be alerted to each location via twitter notifications however the spontaneous impact on unsuspecting pedestrian and motor traffic will be the primary aim of the event.  A format that brings art directly to the people in a spectacular new way will make this a truly exciting event. This format, the 2nd of 3 showings including Los Angeles San Francisco and New York, allows the artist to use the entire city as the gallery and certainly more people will have an opportunity to view cutting edge work.

The event is being sponsored by The Karma Underground who, besides bringing a new format for local artists to display their work, is also attempting to bring wider attention to human rights violations in Tibet. 

thekarmaunderground.
via loakal (ebx x 5733)

just missed this yesterday and the night before (14.&15.05.12) and since I’m not in the East Bay anyway.