Disappearance of the Invader Mosaic from the Barre Lighthouse in Anglet
- Delphine & Romain Class
- Jul 31
- 5 min read
It’s a disappearance that hasn’t gone unnoticed. One of the most iconic works by French street artist Invader, installed for over six months on the lighthouse of the Barre jetty in Anglet (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), was removed sometime in July. Regular passersby, accustomed to spotting these small pixelated aliens typical of the artist, were surprised to find the space now empty, marked only by traces of glue and cement. A disappearance lamented both by locals and urban art enthusiasts.
An Iconic Artwork of the Basque Coast
Installed on the raw concrete lighthouse, the piece depicted one of the famous characters inspired by the video game Space Invaders, made up of colorful mosaic tiles. Since its installation, it had become part of the Anglet landscape — spotted by surfers, photographed by tourists, and catalogued by fans of the “Invader hunt,” an international urban quest that drives some to travel the world in search of the anonymous artist’s works. Positioned at the tip of the jetty, at the entrance to the Adour River, the mosaic occupied a space that was both symbolic and discreet: a passageway between land and sea, in an area where contemporary art sometimes appears in unexpected ways. It was one of the iconic pieces of the Basque Country invasion, created in November 2024, which includes around sixty works, mainly located in Biarritz and Bayonne.
Read more on our blog: Invader installs 60 mosaics in the Basque Country
Theft or Vandalism?
To date, the exact circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain unclear. Was it an organized theft or simply an act of vandalism? Local authorities have not yet made an official statement. Some suggest a meticulous removal, hinting at an attempt to resell — certain Invader pieces can fetch several thousand euros on the underground urban art market. However, due to the rise of fakes, these works have become very difficult to resell.
Others believe it to be a senseless act of vandalism, possibly linked to the increased exposure of the site in recent years.
Residents report having recently seen people working around the lighthouse outside of usual tide hours, although they cannot confirm their involvement.
The Chain Reaction Among Street Art Enthusiasts
This disappearance does not concern Anglet alone. On a national and international scale, street art lovers are familiar with such losses. Invader’s work, due to its visibility and popularity, is often targeted by unscrupulous collectors or vandals. Several pieces have been stolen or destroyed in Paris, London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
But each disappearance is an event in itself. Fan communities document, map, and sometimes restore certain pieces.
On the FlashInvaders app, which allows users to geolocate the artist’s works and virtually collect their photos, the Anglet piece was one of the most popular in the Southwest. Since its disappearance, it is now marked as “inactive,” a status reserved for mosaics that have vanished.
A Municipality Caught Between Admiration and Restraint
When unofficially questioned, the Anglet town hall expressed “regret over the loss of an unofficial but deeply appreciated heritage element.” The ambiguity remains: as in many municipalities, street art works are often installed without permission but gradually accepted and sometimes even promoted for tourism. Invader is no exception. He operates outside the law, yet his works are rarely removed by the cities that host them.
It remains to be seen whether Anglet will consider a symbolic action — such as inviting a re-invasion — or highlighting the void left by the missing piece, similar to some cities that have turned absence into a memorial act.
Other works by the artist have also suffered damage in recent weeks. The octopus placed on Port Vieux beach in Biarritz has also disappeared (BAB_41). The same goes for the Space at the parasol (BAB_07) at the foot of the Hôtel du Palais.
Street Art: Between Permanence and Disappearance
The disappearance of Invader’s mosaic in Anglet highlights the vulnerability of urban art. While the street is an open-air museum, it is also an ephemeral exhibition space. The artworks exist exposed, subject to weather, public gaze, repression, or desire.
But it is precisely this fragility that gives street art its power: each piece is a moment, a meeting, a shared experience between a place and a gaze. And when it disappears, it leaves behind more than a void: a trace in people’s minds, and sometimes the hope of a reappearance.
Who is Invader?
Born in Paris in 1969, Invader is one of the most renowned urban artists worldwide. His true identity remains unknown to the general public. A graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts, he began his career in the late 1990s by placing mosaics inspired by the 8-bit graphics of arcade video games—particularly Space Invaders—on the streets of the French capital.
His artistic project, called Space Invaders, is based on the idea of “invading” cities through the clandestine installation of his works. To date, Invader has installed more than 4,000 mosaics in over 80 cities worldwide—from Paris to Bangkok, Rome, Miami, Cape Town, Tokyo, and São Paulo.
Each piece is carefully mapped and documented by the artist, who also publishes books, maps, videos, and a mobile app (FlashInvaders) that allows fans to “capture” mosaics by photographing them, like in a video game. He has also undertaken unique projects, such as launching an “Invader” into the stratosphere or installing an underwater artwork off the coast of Cancún.
Though he remains anonymous, Invader has established himself as a central figure in contemporary street art, admired for his boldness, consistency, and aesthetic coherence. His work questions the place of art in public space, notions of collecting, and the tension between illegal art and institutional recognition — several of his pieces have even been acquired by modern art museums, such as MAMCO in Geneva or MOCA in Los Angeles.
From the Year 2000 Onwards: The Invasion Kits
Starting around 2000, Invader began selling “Invasion Kits” (or “Invader kits”) on his website. These are ready-to-use mosaics, pre-assembled from about a hundred tiles and sealed in anti-static protective bags, to be glued wherever one wishes. The original idea was to allow anyone to participate in the invasion, so everyone could have an Invader in their home, on their street, or on their building. The kits even say “Good invasion” on them. But since these kits were sold in limited quantities, each authenticated with a unique number and some even signed by the artist, they have become collectible items whose value has steadily increased, especially over the past four or five years. Very few have found their way onto streets and mostly belong to private collections.
To date, there are 18 invasion kits: Albinos, Blue Octopus, Hollywoodee, Rubik Space, Atari, Runner, Union Space, Third Eye, Hypnotic Vienna, Paris, Blue, Home, Made In Japan, 3D Vision, Glow In The Dark, Flash, MSF, Los Angeles.
And Now?
In Anglet, the void left by the mosaic is sparking a quiet but real debate: should the work be restored? Should the artist be called upon? Should the other traces of urban art in the area be preserved? The disappearance also raises awareness of the richness of unofficial urban heritage—art that belongs to no institution but shapes our sensitive relationship to places.
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