Peter Oliver, co-founder of the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association, is interviewed about internationally renowned graffiti artist Mirko Reisser’s creation of the world’s tallest mural in Calgary on June 28. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
The world’s tallest mural, designed by internationally renowned German artist Mirko Reisser or DAIM, resides in Calgary, as part of a project to turn an area of downtown into an open-air urban art gallery.
According to a news report from CBC News, the mural, created by DAIM, is an abstract painting in various shades of orange, black, grey, blue, white, and yellow.
“The brutalism and dystopian look of this area with the giant parkades and the spiral ramps and stuff—it feels like Gotham. So turning this wall from concrete nothing to this is really fun,” said Peter Oliver, president of the Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP).
The mural is 95 m (312 ft) high, making it the tallest mural in the world “by a long shot,” said Oliver.
Oliver also said most cities don’t have giant concrete walls available, with the majority being glass, steel or aluminum, so this was a perfect place for the mural.
DAIM and three other local artists spent more than three weeks painting and went through more than 500 cans of spray paint. The mural is to be a permanent addition to the area and was completed with a coat of UV sealant.
The project will be unveiling 60 new murals during its annual festival, which runs from Aug. 1 to 28.
