From city streets to Arctic Sweden: Invader’s unexpected invasion

Far from his usual city settings, Invader’s mosaic LAP_33 sits on a wooden shelter at Snipen, a hilltop viewpoint in Arctic Sweden. Photo: Matilda Mattsson Fröjd.

Best known for his mosaics in cities such as Paris, London and Tokyo, French street artist Invader has left 89 works across Arctic Sweden. Here, both local and international fans can discover his pixelated figures on forest shelters, at hilltop viewpoints and beside lakes and rivers — an unexpected setting that is already drawing international art hunters north.

For followers of Invader, finding his work is part of the experience. His mosaics inspire an international art hunt, with fans seeking out and photographing individual pieces, collecting points through his FlashInvaders app and planning journeys around new discoveries.

In Arctic Sweden, that hunt takes a different turn. Larger than Portugal and sparsely populated, the region turns the search for Invader’s mosaics into a journey through towns, river valleys and forests. Small, pixelated figures appear on shelters at hilltop viewpoints and beside forest lakes. At Grodkällan (“the Frog Spring”), a frog motif sits beside clear, turquoise water. Travellers accustomed to scanning the streets of Paris, London or Tokyo can now find themselves following forest trails and stopping to take in sweeping views along the way. 

I think that contrast could be a big part of the appeal. For someone who has searched for Invader’s work in Paris or Tokyo, finding a mosaic beside a river or out in the mountains offers a very different experience. The landscape and the journey become part of the encounter with the art,” says Annika Fredriksson, CEO of Arctic Sweden Visitors Board.

Fans are already making the journey

At Kattilakoski restaurant, in the Torne Valley, one of Invader’s mosaics has an unusual home: inside the restaurant, above a window facing Finland.

Co-owner Lilian Fors estimates that around 20 visitors, mostly from France and some from Germany, have come specifically to photograph the mosaic in the roughly three weeks since its presence became public.

Lilian Fors, who co-owns Kattilakoski restaurant with her husband Taz Huggins, has welcomed international fans travelling specifically to photograph its Invader mosaic. The artwork sits above a window overlooking the Torne River towards Finland.

She sees them as a new audience for the region: dedicated art fans, many aged around 25 to 40, who had flown north and hired cars to find the mosaics. Most had never travelled this far north, and she believes they might not have considered visiting without the artworks.

The scenery has made an impression too. Visitors have told her how beautiful and distinctive they find the surroundings; one man said he wanted to return with his wife.

A personal record for Invader

Known for mosaics inspired by the pixelated graphics of early video games, particularly Space Invaders, the anonymous French artist calls his projects “invasions”.

Speaking to Swedish Radio P4 Norrbotten, Invader described arctic Sweden as an unexpected choice compared with the major urban centres where he generally works. The idea developed over two years following an earlier visit to the region. He also said he believed the trip set a personal record for the number of works he had installed during a single journey.

Plan your art hunt

Arctic Sweden Visitors Board’s digital guide, Street Art Roadtrip, combines a map of mosaic locations with selected highlights and suggestions for what to discover nearby. It takes travellers along the coast, into the inland and through the Torne Valley, with detours to forest lakes and hilltop viewpoints.

Along the way, visitors can combine their art hunt with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gammelstad Church Town, explore Sámi culture at Ájtte museum in Jokkmokk, or stop for handmade chocolates at Sweet Treats by Pavli in Pajala. Tips on food, accommodation and outdoor experiences help turn the search for mosaics into a wider journey through Arctic Sweden.

Explore the route: https://www.swedishlapland.com/map-stories/street-art-roadtrip/

Press images: https://app.mediaflow.com/media/folder/1544446