Monday 17 November 2025

Hidden Canvases 
Street art and the city
by Doug Gillen

Hidden Canvases is a lecture by Doug Gillen, a film-maker and street art advocate, exploring the world of street art beyond its surface aesthetics. Doug will delve into how street art serves as a powerful form of social and political commentary, offering reflection on the voices and struggles of marginalised communities. We will also discover how public art can challenge mainstream narratives, provoke thought, and reclaim urban spaces. Through global examples and his personal experiences with the platform Fifth Wall TV, Doug encourages audiences to see street art not just as vandalism or decoration, but as a legitimate and impactful form of public discourse.

Doug Gillen

Doug is a freelance film-maker specialising in street art and graffiti culture. The subject has taken him from ghettos in Miami to the shores of Lesbos, through the camps of Palestine to the towers of Hong Kong. Doug documents art events around the world for his film project Fifth Wall TV.