While it is almost impossible to outline the space that a true icon like Blondie specifically occupies in the society for music, fashion, politics, social engagement, creativity, and impact; this art project is an attempt to dig into the true spirit that stands at the core of its essence.

As archaeologists, we used the brushes of art to clean the surface of the legend and reconnect to that timeless need of breaking the mold, the scream for thinking outside the box, the necessity of being above geographical and political borders, but also – and especially – those of the mind and the creative expression.

Starting from the inspirational character of Debbie Harry, the woman the singer and the activist, we imagined her legacy today, in the world that we know the best: the crypto art space.

And we did it through the art of the artist duo Hackatao, discovering inch by inch the points of contact between them and Debbie, between the two different art scenes, between the contemporary creators of then and today: speaking two different languages but still giving voice to the same spirit.

That fil rouge took the name of Hack the Borders, symbolizing a true act – from both Hackatao and Blondie – of hacking anything that goes with the name and the meaning of “border”.

The frontiers of the immigrants reaching to new lands for salvation and the borders in the waters of the eternal power games. The boundaries for homologation imposed by the creative industry and the suffocating social restrictions for the freedom of expression. The borders, the boundaries, the limits of narrow-mindedness.

Back then manifesting in the form of the punk rock movement, today going by the name of crypto art.

The Debbie by Hackatao appears like a Podmork, the totemic creatures signed by the artist duo, covered in drawings that often represent our inner demons and most hidden voices.

Debbie, like art, is eternal. She carries on the conversation that she started a long time ago, keeping her legendary charisma while opening our eyes to new subjects that never betray the loyalty to her essence: “Stop fucking the planet”.

The palette and the play of colors are inspired by the famous portrait by Andy Warhol, as a symbol of that fil rouge that exists here in the timeless nature of art. Debbie, portrayed in the ’80s and Debbie portrayed today, both in the most contemporary and the most pop way that the world has ever known.
This art project, a collaboration between two different poles of creativity, will be initiated on August 6th. A very special day, another sign from the universe – that planned for Warhol and S. of Hackatao to be born on the same day – to tell us how everything has been and forever will be connected.

Eleonora Brizi