A nearly decade-old mosaic tribute to legendary musician Lou Reed, created by renowned French street artist Invader, was stolen from a building on St. Mark's Place in Manhattan's East Village early Monday morning. Several residents witnessed two men removing the artwork from an upper floor of 110 St. Mark's Place, located between Avenue A and First Avenue, in what appears to be part of an ongoing pattern of art theft targeting the artist's work.
The theft occurred just after 1 a.m. when a resident noticed the two suspects positioned outside the building with a ladder and caution tape. Neighbors living inside the building reported being awakened by loud banging sounds coming from the exterior wall. They then observed one man climbing the ladder to reach the mosaic while his accomplice remained on the ground acting as a spotter. Concerned residents immediately contacted the 9th Precinct to report the crime in progress.
According to sources, the building's landlord had originally commissioned the French artist to create the Lou Reed tribute mosaic. The landlord may now pursue criminal charges against the thieves for the unauthorized removal of the artwork. Following the incident, neighbors conducted their own investigation and believe they have identified one of the suspects as the same individual who was seen removing another Invader piece in June 2024.
The earlier theft occurred above Ralph's Famous Italian Ices, located at the corner of Avenue A and Ninth Street. Witnesses reported seeing the same two-man operation, with the suspects prying Invader's distinctive mosaic tiles from walls throughout the city. This pattern of systematic theft has been targeting the artist's installations across New York City for several months.
Invader himself addressed the wave of thefts affecting his work in a detailed Instagram post published last summer. "For the past few weeks, some guys in New York have been destroying my work by trying to rip it off the walls, probably to resell it. Shame on them!" the artist wrote. He emphasized that "Street art belongs to the street, and in my case, once ripped from the walls, it is nothing more than broken, unsigned tiles that you could find in any tile store. They will never be authenticated."
The French street artist warned potential buyers about purchasing stolen pieces, stating, "Buyers should think twice of what they buy, not only are they being duped but they are also depriving other people of enjoying free art on the street." Invader explained that the mosaics likely have minimal resale value, particularly his more recent works, which were created using thinner tiles specifically designed to chip apart and become damaged if someone attempts to remove them improperly.
One local resident who witnessed the theft confirmed the artist's assessment about the fragility of the pieces. "They were chipping away at it so I'm pretty sure it's destroyed," the EVG reader reported, suggesting that the thieves' efforts may have been ultimately futile, leaving them with worthless fragments rather than valuable artwork.
Invader's collection of mosaics first appeared throughout New York City and specifically in the East Village in 2015, with some installations created in collaboration with the LISA Project. Unfortunately, several of these pieces were vandalized almost immediately after their installation. The stolen Lou Reed mosaic had become a beloved fixture in the neighborhood, representing both the artist's distinctive pixel-art style and a tribute to the iconic musician who was closely associated with the East Village music scene.
