Let’s say graffiti in Zagreb started around ’85 or a few years before and since then, there was only one big buffing campaign in ’87, so you can still find old school stuff all around the city. Guys like Teask, Carl, Gene, Bonz, Braco, Lons, Swenone, Fuk, Jen, Mag, Ofca, Ro, Mein, Extra, Gogs, Koko were guys I looked up to when I started to paint. These guys painted s-trains, did a lot of street bombing, tags and some crazy spots. Insides of trams and s-trains were totally tagged. Although it was a post-war period, and it lasted for years, that were cool times. For all our graff supplies we were going to Italy or Austria, or trying to find someone’s family who went abroad to bring some cans and especially caps. Influences on Zagreb writers were New York, Berlin, Dortmund, Prague, Budapest and later with my generation classic euro style got involved. One important thing in Zagreb was and still is to have a good-looking tag, so I can say there is some tradition in tagging here. Until 2008 there was no law on graffiti, so you would get out with a few slaps and a 30€ fine. Now Europe took things in their hands and it’s a criminal activity to paint. These days they try to put up as many cameras as possible and recruit as many cops as possible, and people want to become one for the “safety” of citizens. But in the end it doesn’t change a thing.

Lolek from Zagreb talks here