OBEY: ANDRÈ THE GIANT Obey's story officially begins in 1989 with the campaign of stickers depicting the face of André the Giant, the celebrated wrestler. The walls of Providence, where the artist studied, were the first 'canvas', followed by those of other cities such as Los Angeles, Boston, New York. The choice to use the fighter's face is particular: Obey wanting to teach a friend how to create a stencil chooses by chance from a magazine the image of André the Giant, subscribing to “André the Giant has a posse”. From this first work, which Obey calls “a lucky Sticker Art accident,” thousands of stickers and posters have been made to date. The image of André the Giant in itself means nothing and the public notices the sticker only when it is seen everywhere: this phenomenon, voluntarily designed by Obey, embodies the sense of his art, which creates a reflection on advertising and communication in our society. The artist subsequently creates a campaign starting from this image, which soon became an icon; the provocative intent lies in the meaning: the possibility of maneuvering people to their liking, thus inducing the viewer to reflect on what surrounds him. If at first the Obey phenomenon is criticized, later it becomes fashionable