Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Artist Puts Up "UUGGHH" Piece On Old Bowery Building Being Turned Into Condos
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 1, 2014
Modified Dec 1, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 1, 2014
Modified Dec 1, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photo courtesy of HOTTEA
That old building on the corner of Bowery and Spring Street can be identified by a lot of things—its address: 190 Bowery; its history: the old Germania Bank building; but to the casual passerby it's mostly eye-catching for its graffiti-laden exterior.
The building, which has looked abandoned for decades, thanks in part to that graffiti, has actually belonged to Jay Maisel since the 1960s. The photographer put the 72-room place on the market this year, however, and it will likely turn condo soon. In response to the upcoming transformation, Eric Rieger, aka HOTTEA, put this piece up on the side of the building, and tells us:
Photo courtesy of HOTTEA
"I wanted to create a piece on this building because of how iconic it is to New York City. Also, because it was recently purchased and this once canvas for graffiti writers and street artists will no longer be accessible. All over the country gentrification is taking place and NYC is no stranger to that. It is something that I see in every city I travel to. There have been so many historic buildings that have been lost to this and to that I say 'UUGGHH.'
"This piece is not only a statement of the cultural shift in NYC but to create an installation that does not damage the building and using the architecture to exist. All of the lettering is placed into indents that are in the walls. These indents form a grid in which I created a type face to spell out the word 'UUGGHH.' I have never seen this method of typography used before. All one would have to do to remove this piece is simply give it a tug."
Unclear if anyone has taken it down yet, but you can see it all in the below video:
Tagged
190 bowery
eric rieger
hottea
street art
uugghh
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Sep 26, 2026
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.
By
Hannah Frishberg
How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest
By
Sonia Rao
NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .