I thought that DARE is a suitable name for a graffiti artist. I "dare" to go out at night. I also "dare" to go freelance, i.e. to take the step to independence. I "dare" simply to be different from the others and often therefore write DARE TO BE DIFFERENT. Have the courage to be dif­ferent! You don't need to swim with the masses. Sigi von Koeding and DARE are one person with two personalities. I have spent more than half a lifetime writing my name. So you can certainly say that the name I gave myself then is a large part of me.

DARE

1986

Sigi von Koeding was one of the founding members of the graffiti art movement in Switzerland. Apprenticeship as sign and advertisement painter.

1990

  • First sprayer in Switzerland, who dared to take the step to working freelance.
  • After his first assignment in the Basler Medienhaus for the photographer Onorio Mansutti and the large mural design for the municipality of Munchenstein followed the first news­ paper articles at a national level. Subsequently there was a title story in the magazine, Schweizer Familie, appearances and reports in Swiss television.

1991

  • He sprayed in the Gallery Littmann, Basel (CH), in the exhibi­tion on “Drogen, Welt in Trance (Drugs, world in a trance)”.
  • Various working trips to Munich, Dortmund, Amsterdam and Paris.

1992

  • External mural design for the firm Multi Contact in Weil am Rhein (D).
  • First trip to New York (USA), various murals.
  • Artistic design of all the City Disc outlets in Switzerland.
  • Stage set for Bejart Ballet, Lausanne (CH).
  • Poster design for the Rollerpalast in Lucerne (CH) displayed throughout Switzerland
  • Works on canvas auctioned off in favour of the charity Aidshilfe Schweiz

1993-1995

  • Works in Basel, Liestal, Lausanne, Montreux and Zurich (CH)
  • With HEX decoration of the external facade of the Hiphop Shop on the Melrose Avenue In Los Angeles (USA)
  • Working trips to Amsterdam and Copenhagen
  • Live performances at hip hop events in amongst others Frankfurt, Dresden, Dortmund, Essen and Stuttgart
  • Publisher of the first edition of the graffiti magazine AEROSOUL
  • Painting of the Theatre Tram commissioned by the Migros Northwest Switzerland

1996

  • “Art Frankfurt”, Frankfurt (D) with selected graffiti artists and with H.R. Giger.
  • “A tribute to Style”, Kallmann Museum, Ismaning/Munich (D).
  • Large mural design in Hamburg (D) with DAIM and HESH for the SAGA housing cooperative.
  • 120 m2 mural design in Naestved, Denmark with CMP, SPIN and Mister Green.

1997

  • “Aufstand der Zeichen (Revolt of the letters)”, Toskanische Säulenhalle, Augsburg (D).
  • Painting of a 800 m2 wall in Hamburg/ Altona (D) commissioned by Sprinkenhof AG on the theme Multi-Media in collaboration with 14 international graffiti artists
  • Live performance in Dunkerque (F )

1998

  • Painting of 2 cows for the Läckerli-Huus to celebrate 555 years Basler Läckerli in collaboration with the artist Coor­pato (CH)
  • Co-author of the book “Swiss Graffiti” together with Beat Suter, published by Edition Aragon
  • Live performances in Ancona, Montpellier, Saarbrücken, Munich and Karlsruhe

1999

  • “Graffiti 2000”, Rote Fabrik, Zurich (CH).
  • Artistic design in the railway station underpass in Weil am Rhein (D) commissioned by the Deutschen Bahn AG, in cooperation with Patrick Lützelschwab
  • Painting of a 120m2 external wall in the Bronx/New York (USA) with FX Crew

2000

  • “Urban Discipline 2000”, Hamburg (D)
  • “Hidden Art of Hackney”, London (GB)

2001

  • “Art Forum”, Montreux (CH)
  • “Graffiti 2000/3”, Rote Fabrik, Zurich (CH)
  • ”Graffiti Oggi”, Art Contemporanea Hirmer, Toscana (IT)
  • “Concrete or Wallpaper”, Swiss Embassy, London (GB)

2002

  • “Urban Discipline 2002”, Hamburg (D)
  • “Beside the Wall”, Heidelberg (D)
  • “A Weekend with Loomit and DARE”, Lahr (D)

2003

  • “World Spray 2003”, Milan (IT).
  • “Atelier Bahnweg 6”, Freiburg im Breisgau (D)
  • “Carhartt Europe Meeting”, Locarno (CH)

2004

  • “Canvasses”, Gallery Elbchaussee Acht, Hamburg (D)
  • “K31 Gallery Opening”, Lahr (D)
  • “DARE on Canvas”, Nitty Gritty, Stockholm (S)
  • “DARE on Canvas”, Gallery Bärtschi, Bern (CH)
  • “Past-Present’, Gallery K31, Lahr (D)

2005

  • Organisation of workshops for Beat on the Street in Basel, Lausanne and Geneva (CH) under the patronage of Pro Helvetia/ Swixx
  • Exhibition in Atelier 8. Weil am Rhein (D)
  • Member of the jury for Write for Gold in Warsaw (PL)
  • Live Painting in Barcelona (E), Urban Funke
  • Commissioned work on external façade for the town Weil am Rhein (D)
  • ART  36  Basel Summer Vibes, Live Painting “Kaserne Basel”, Basel (CH)
  • “Straight Concepts”_ ECB I DARE, Atelier 8, Weil am Rhein (D)
  • “ART BASEL” -Private Lounge -Summer Vibes, Basel (CH)
  • “Leaving and living the streets”, Kulturmarkt, Zurich (CH)
  • “Markant”, Darmstadt (D)

2006

  • Live Painting in Paris, Copenhagen and Zagreb
  • Exhibition “Ins Land geschaut (look inside the land)”, Stadtisches Museum Weil am Rhein (D)
  • “Wahrend du schliefst (whilst you sleep)”, Meeraner Markt, Lorrach (D)
  • “Scritto senza lnchiostro”, Teano (I)
  • “20 YEARS DARE”, Nuithonie, Julien Kolly, Fribourg (CH)
  • “20 YEARS DARE”, V-Gallery, Basel (CH)
  • Painting of sail for Alinghi as part of the Alinghi – Swiss-Roadshow in Zurich (CH)
  • From December curator of the Carhartt-Gallery in Weil am Rhein (D)

2007

  • “20 YEARS DARE”, Nuithonie, Fribourg (CH)
  • “20 YEARS DARE”, Gallery Artcorner 28, Biel-Bienne (CH)
  • Carhartt Gallery, Weil am Rhein (D)
  • “Art Zürich”, Zurich (CH)
  • Live Painting in Sarajevo (HR)
  • Hand painting of watch faces for the exclusive watchmaker Pierre DeRoche (CH).
  • Painting of the apartment of Gunter Sachs in Velden (A)
  • 12 page article in Architectural Digest 8/07
  • Exhibitions in Lyon, Biel and Weil am Rhein.

2008

  • Urban feedback, Markthalle Basel (CH)
  • “DARE to be different” Gallery Speerstr , Bursins (CH)
  • “Die Kunst ist weiblich (art is female)” – Gunter Sachs retrospective, Museum der bildenden Künste (Museum of fine art), Leipzig (D)
  • “leaving and living the streets”, Marshall-Art, Zurich (CH)
  • “creative generation”, Gallery K31, Laar (D)
  • “point of view”, Galerie Springmann, Freiburg (D)
  • Artistic support of the charity “Kinder in Brasilien (Children in Brazil)”
  • “Berliner Liste”, Gallery Springmann, Berlin (D)
  • “Primary Flight”, Miami (USA)
  • “Ping Pong”, Hardcore Gallery, Miami (USA)
  • Cover and 14-page article in INDOLE Magazine (I)

2009

  • “Art Karlsruhe”, Gallery Springmann, Karlsruhe (D)
  • “DARE/TOAST/STRUMBEL/BLEK LE RAT”, Gallery Mang, Lindau (D)
  • “Public Provocations”, Carhartt Gallery, Weil am Rhein (D)
  • “Plan D”, Gallery Speerstra, Geneva (CH)
  • “DARE & TOAST”, Kunstverein Mittelbaden, Offenburg (D)
  • DARE , La Grille Gallery , Yverdon (CH)
  • “Ping Pong”, Hardcore Gallery, Miami (USA)
  • “Heimspiel (Home game)”, Clarastrasse, Basel (CH)