Buenos Aires Artist Secretly ‘Hits’ Thousands of Free Character Stamps Across City
BUENOS AIRES – A Buenos Aires artist, teh daughter of an actor adn a writer who goes by Klausen, is behind the proliferation of small, adhesive character stamps appearing on public transportation and street furniture across the city – and beyond. Klausen creates and distributes the stamps, featuring recognizable characters, entirely for free, with no copyright restrictions, and has made them available for download online.
Klausen, who prioritizes artistic freedom over financial gain, admits “not everyone manages to live from art and I don’t know if it is indeed my priority to live in art,” explaining that working elsewhere allows her to create without market pressures. “It was never an idea to make money with paper,” she stated, describing the stamps as “a gesture before the people who may be having a bad time.”
The artist’s work has spread organically, with individuals taking the stamps and applying them in locations as far afield as Spain and Mexico. Just last week, 200 sheets of 9 characters – nearly 2,000 stamps - where distributed by “undercover agents” across Buenos Aires, appearing on posts, bus stops, and other street structures. She recounted receiving a message from someone in Santa Elena,a town of 20,000 in Entre Ríos province,who had found the stamps despite Klausen never having visited the location.
Klausen acknowledges the potential for legal issues,stating she has questioned whether her actions are within the law,but believes the positive impact outweighs the risk. She even shared an anecdote about a police officer who, rather of reprimanding her, requested stamps for his daughter, saying, “I love them.” The artist’s goal is to bring a moment of joy to commuters and passersby, offering a small smile during their day.
