“These Sunsets Are To Die For” Mural in Munich, Germany

August 23, 2022

The crew and I just returned from Munich, where we painted a 370-foot mural, my widest ever, on a 17-foot high wall along the city highway. The mural was facilitated by Sebastian Pohl, the artistic director behind the project, planned three years ago but delayed by the pandemic. Sebastian and I conceived the mural as an urge to transition away from fossil fuel reliance to sustainable and more environmentally responsible energy sources. The city of Munich’s municipal infrastructure is completely powered by renewable energy, so I was excited to be philosophically aligned in our joint efforts to spur energy evolution. I’m grateful to have the alliance and support from the “Department of Arts and Culture Munich,” and I’m heartened they believe in the value of art culturally and socially. Thank you, especially to former cultural-major Josef Schmid, who helped us to secure this amazing wall space. The mural is a mosaic of images opposing continued fossil fuel reliance and championing green energy… important topics for drivers stuck in traffic to ponder. Because of the danger of working alongside daytime traffic, we worked from 8 PM to 5 AM wearing headlamps to see. The working conditions were tough, so I’m incredibly grateful to Sebastian Pohl and the team from Positive-Propaganda, along with Rob Zagula, Luka Densmore, and Dennis Albrecht, for their hard work. Thanks also to Rob Zagula for the photos. In November, I’ll be doing my first solo art show in Germany called “New Clear Power” at AMUSEUM of Contemporary Art in Munich.
–Shepard

A long mural on a wall next to a road, featuring various colorful, graphic designs in red, blue, and cream, with cars…
  • A long mural on a wall next to a road, featuring various colorful, graphic designs in blue, red, and black, with a car…
  • A section of a mural featuring the word "GAS" in red, a blue floral pattern, a man in a helmet holding a gas pump nozzle…
  • A section of a mural featuring a red 'C' with a flame, a blue floral pattern, a hand holding a flaming torch, a red panel…
  • A section of a mural featuring a geometric design, a building with a red roof, and a blue patterned section with a person on…
  • A section of a mural featuring a red tulip, a couple looking at an industrial sunset with text "These Sunsets Are To Die…
  • A section of a mural featuring blue wave patterns, palm trees, and a beach scene with two people under an umbrella, oil rigs…
  • A section of a mural featuring text "EARTH FIRST ACT NOW", industrial buildings, a man in a coat holding a flaming torch…
Four people in safety vests working on a large mural at night, illuminated by a bright light, with a large horse graphic on…
Two people working on a large mural at night, with a scissor lift, ladders, and a car on the street. The mural features a…