Biafra, Inc. & WUNDR

Always Watching is a special mural commissioned to help celebrate the Creative Enterprise Zone’s purchase of the old Sunrise Bank building on the corner of Vandalia Ave & University Ave in St. Paul.

This colorful collaboration titled “Always Watching” is the work of two prolific Twin Cities artists (and past Chroma Zone muralists) - Biafra Inc. and Wundr. If you know their work, you will recognize their signature styles and how well they blend together. Most notably, Biafra on the human faces and Wundr the cartoon birds or ducks.

Each has included their name on the pillar - Wundr near the top and Biafra near the bottom, along with the mural title. Their design wraps three sides of the triangular pillar with “eyes” strategically placed for maximum visibility and effect.

Besides transforming the intersection and adding visual appeal to the building that is now home to the Creative Enterprise Zone org (producer of the Chroma Zone Mural & Art Festival) and other nonprofits, these new “eyes on the street” may also have psychological benefits known as the “watching eye effect”.

According to Wikipedia, “the watching-eye effect says that people behave more altruistically and exhibit less antisocial behavior in the presence of images that depict eyes, because these images insinuate that they are being watched. Eyes are strong signals of perception for humans. They signify that our actions are being seen and paid attention to even through mere depictions of eyes.”

“It has been demonstrated that these effects are so pronounced that even depictions of eyes are enough to trigger them. This means that people need not actually be watched, but that a simple photograph of eyes is enough to elicit feelings that individuals are being watched which can impact their behavior to be more prosocial and less antisocial.”

See WUNDR & Ryoe’s mural from the 2019 event >

See Biafra, Inc.’s mural from the 2020 event >