PottWall Jam is an annual event in the calendar of Streetart Initiative Gelsenkirchen. This year for me it was a very special event, as they deviated from their convention to play at a legal wall, such like Schürenkamptunnel (2017) or Nordsternpark (2016) and have chosen a crime scene in Ückendorf, next to the center of the city. Private owners of a number of walls in doorways, at a car park and as highlight, even an open empty building, had given permission to design their walls. And as those walls are private, the pieces will not be overpainted in the nearest future. The locations were scattered between Munscheidstraße, Bochumerstraße and Bergmannstraße. And so I spent my Saturday with running back and forth between 5 spots like a squirrel on drugs, looking for nutlets; and there was plenty to find.
Munscheidstraße
Alighting the tram at Wissenschaftspark the first wall at Munscheidstraße / Bochumer Straße catches the eye with the unofficial heraldic animal of the Ruhr area – a sperm whale. I have already tried once an explanation why the sperm whale might be honored with this title. Let me try to explain what this sea mammal connects with the Ruhr Area. This area often is referred affectionately as „Pott“. The meaning of the word is pot. And what has that got to do with that 
whale? Now, in German language a sperm whale is a pott whale. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it is because whalers have cooked blubber in big pots to produce sperm oil. So in our language the whale got the name of those big pots (may be) and so the sperm(pott) whale is supposed to be a native of the Ruhr Area. This is my own interpretation; no idea if anyone can follow me. By the way: The whale has been designed by SHIMUN and another writer, whose name is a miracle to me. May be REST but can be wromg as well. A few steps away, at the car park and backyard of Bochumer Straße 94-98, which is accessible via Munscheidstraße, the music was playing. Not only due to the turntables established there. This car park was emptied of all cars and the writers had taken over the sovereignty over that spot. As usual my problems to read the cryptical inscripts were frustrating, but after all I have recognized EBS crew and had a lot of fun with their pieces covering a long wall.
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; EBS KNUT
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; EBS KNUT
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; EBS
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; EBS
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; EBS VAMOS
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; EBS VAMOS
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; CHOS TYROE
Pottwall Jam; Backyard Bochumer Straße 94-98; CHOS TYROE
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