Street art is great at breaking up the monotonous cement and brick landscape a lot of towns and cities have and has been recognised by the British public as art opposed to graffiti, piquing our interest and putting a smile on our faces as we pass through.
Art can take many forms and is delivered in many different settings — particularly when it’s free to view and accessible to all. Unfortunately, except for Banksy and a few more, street artists don’t get the recognition they deserve. As we are slowly coming out of the lockdown imposed by Governments to control the spread of Covid-19, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the best street art in the world and share it with you.
Puerto Rico: San Juan
Right in the heart of the Condado area in Puerto Rico, lies the colourful neighbourhood of San Juan. Fortaleza Street is decorated with a beautiful canopy of umbrellas, which has become a major attraction in the streets of the town. As well as being a visual spectacle for passers-by, they also shelter the public from the sun and the rain.
Other cities have joined in on brightening up their streets with coloured umbrellas of different shapes and sizes like golf umbrellas, including Barcelona’s Fiesta Major de Gracia, Portgual’s Umbrella Sky Project, Dubai’s Miracle Garden, Turkey’s Old Street, and the UK’s own Vinopolis Piazza near London Bridge. If you’re visiting any of these locations in the future, make sure to check them out!
Germany: Berlin
The historic Berlin Wall was once used as a barrier that divided and oppressed the people of Soviet controlled Germany. Now, it is used as a symbol of freedom through artistic and creative independence. The Berlin Wall has been graced with several iconic murals, such as Thierry Noir’s colourful cartoon heads, for something totally unique and original.
Remembering what the wall once stood for and seeing what it represents now is certainly worth a visit.
Turkey: Istanbul
Going back to 2013, a retired forestry engineer started his street art project by transforming a huge staircase from an eye-sore to a bright and colourful rainbow, injecting life into an unvisited, insignificant part of town. Not everyone was a fan and, in response, the government painted over it with a dull grey colour.
This caused terrible anger in the public, who saw the government’s action as a lack of respect and of attempt to control artistic freedom of expression. This sparked the rainbow revolution! To represent unity, members of the public repainted the stairs with rainbow colours, as well as other staircases and walkways in the city.
Italy: Naples
The city of Naples has an abundance of stunning street art across the city, with detailed murals and portraits that you could swear were alive. Jorit Agoch is one of the most significant street artists in the city raising this destination’s profile as a cultural hotspot.
Il Merola Park of Ponticelli, the Park of Murals, has four great portraits — check out the range of art and attractions to have a look at.
To conclude, I’ve realised that there is amazing street art all around the world and that once I can travel freely again, I’ll definitely seek it as a way to better understand the culture of the places I visit.
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