Malaga based artist faces jail for placing art on historic buildings

A MALAGA-based artist is facing up to three years in prison for plastering historic buildings with his artwork.

Known only as Invader, the French artist began creating mosaics on buildings across the capital in May last year.

His canvases included Episcopal Palace, the Palace of Salinas and other buildings of the Historic Center of Malaga, protected by the Law of Historical Heritage of Andalucia.

The offence is being considered as a ‘penal infraction’ by a Malaga court which is punishable by anything from a fine to three years in prison.

A judge has asked the affected buildings for the costs of repairing the ‘damage’ before making its decision.

The works have created a bitter dispute between local authorities and the Junta, the former of which sees the 29 different mosaics as urban art and has advocated for it to remain in place.