The 25th edition of Montreal hip hop culture festival Under Pressure is on

Montreal international graffiti festival Under Pressure is in the midst of marking 25 years of mounting street art, breakdance competitions, and music events showcasing MCs and DJs, turntables and microphones. Although the block party aspect of the event is taking a step back out of necessity in 2020, their pandemic-safe online programming aims to connect and entertain its audience with content that’s as close to its hip hop culture touchstones as possible.

Here are some programming highlights:

XXV to Life

A digital art exhibition, as of Aug. 8, wherein “artists from the Under Pressure family were invited to participate in this tribute exhibition, where everyone will translate their vision of the festival into images.”

Pimp ton vinyl

Originally presented by the Fresh Paint gallery, Pimp ton vinyl is a collection of artworks by over 50 international artists on old 12-inch records. Under Pressure is aiming to give “to give new life, a new rhythm” to this project, which was launched in 2016, by showcasing and selling the work “at a more than affordable price.”

25 Years of Graffiti History with Under Pressure

A behind-the-scenes guided video tour shot during the 2019 edition, available as of Aug. 8, which “delves into the world of Under Pressure” and is “interspersed with archive capsules, recounting the beginnings and the influence of the festival through the years.”

Mapping Artwork: Carte Blanche to MTLight with 123Klan

Local collective MTLight and French graffiti artist collective 123Klan will produce a mural “projected at dusk,” from Aug. 8

Live music sets will be streamed from Foufounes Électriques and street dance competitions will stream from Parc Toussaint-Louverture over the weekend, Aug. 8–9.

The DJ line-up includes Daddie Maysr, Cristobal Urbina (tech-house) and Construct. ■

See the complete program and stream the events on the Under Pressure website.

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For more Montreal art coverage, see our Arts section.