Jürgen Scheible is a German media artist, researcher and musician a.k.a ‘MobiLenin’. He is the creator of MobiSpray®, a novel art tool that employs the mobile phone as virtual spray can to spray dabs of digital paint onto the physical environment in real-time via large-scale projections anytime, anywhere.

As the traditional painter uses a pen and a linen canvas for painting, Scheible in contrast uses the building or object as canvas and his mobile phone as pen. The spray-painting follows his hand gestures in real-time, while spraying intensity and color change via keypad. Scheible uses his tool to purposefully change the appearance of facades and surfaces of buildings, airplanes, ships and nature, without inflicting any permanent damage to property.

The MobiSpray works are about transforming an object or building into something new, unexpected and surprising by painting on them. They are reminiscent of the work of the artist Christo who wraps buildings such as the ’Reichstag’ in Berlin, Germany.

With his works, Scheible wants to challenge and interrupt peoples’ assumptions about an object or place and bring in extra tension or play. The designated object and the painting become inextricably linked, creating a new whole. In this way buildings and objects can acquire a new power to communicate with the artist and viewer, becoming alive and of value on their own account. The process of real-time painting, done by a human hand and mind, inspired by the shapes and forms of the designated object and it's surrounding atmosphere, delivers a unique experience of digital art in public space. The playing of Scheible's own music adds to the total audio-visual setup during his live performances.

In multi-user mode, MobiSpray allows the audience to participate in painting.

Since summer 2008, Scheible has traveled around the globe ‘painting’ on more than 140 buildings, places and objects in over 50 international cities. Works include painting on the Guggenheim museum New York, the Flatiron building in New York, Houses of Parliament in London, Sydney Opera House ground and many more.

While numerous of Scheible's works are outcomes of guerilla actions, he goes with the street artist Banksy’s motto: “It’s always easier to get forgiveness than permission".

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