New Zealand’s Lapiz has been working on a new stencil in Germany to address who is a hero in the battle against surveillance and loss of privacy.

Lapiz. “The Hero Is You”. Hamburg, Germany. (photo © Lapiz)

In this private commission on a house in Hamburg, Lapiz pushes Edward Snowden front and center, under a quote from him saying, “The hero is you.” The NSA-whistle blower is flanked by Obama writing the word “terrori..” and Angela Merkel checking her phone.

Lapiz. “The Hero Is You”. Hamburg, Germany. (photo © Lapiz)

Lapiz tells us that Snowden “is highly regarded as he revealed to what extent we are spied upon, how our every move, email and action is recorded – even including foreign heads of state. However, in his own words, he is not a hero, instead he acted because of his moral beliefs and insists that everyone can be a “hero” and do the right thing. For the government, however, he is a traitor that should be jailed for life.”

Are you the hero? Who is? Do we need another?

Lapiz. “The Hero Is You”. Hamburg, Germany. (photo © Lapiz)

Lapiz. “The Hero Is You”. Hamburg, Germany. (photo © Lapiz)