Inspired by C215’s trip to Valletta, and the subsequent removal of his works, Veronica Stivala takes a look at some of the best cities to visit for street art.
A few weeks ago, a good number of post office boxes and other street furniture in Valletta were decorated with the vibrant pictures of street artist C215.
Striking, Medusa-like Caravaggioesque heads and pseudo-beheadings of St John appeared all over the city.
C215, born Christian Guémy, is a French street artist who hails from Paris.
Despite his claim that the works were inspired by the ghost of Caravaggio, and perhaps because of their questionable artistic value (although C215 has been hailed as ‘France’s answer to Banksy’), some of the works were duly removed by Maltapost.
Malta is no stranger to street art, and recently, places like the skate park in Msida, as well as a wall on Sliema Road in Kappara, have become home to some great pieces of graffiti.
A favourite of mine is the witty ‘traffic jam’ tucked away on a wall close to the skate park.
Graffiti artist Chris de Souza Jensen once told me: “There is something romantic in knowing that anonymous people are decorating the streets at night.”
While not getting into the legality of graffiti, C215’s visit inspired me to have a look at some famous places in the world to go for street art. Here are my pick of the best:
Berlin
One of the most famous sites for graffiti is surely the East Side Gallery in Berlin.
This a 1.3-mile section of the Berlin Wall, and now an international memorial for freedom. The gallery consists of more than 100 paintings by artists from the world over, painted in 1990 on the east side of the wall.
It is reputed to be the largest and longest-lasting open-air gallery in the world and is home to probably one of the most famous graffiti pieces ever: Dmitri Vrubel’s Fraternal Kiss, depicting Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker embracing in 1979 during the 30th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic.
Due mention must also go to my favourite find in Berlin – the wayside graffiti in the magnificent Hackescher Markt area.
In a hidden enclave, where you can also find the Anne Frank Zentrum and the Otto Weidt Museum, colourful bunting hangs from graffiti-packed walls.
Look out for the alluring, red-haired woman in a green dress who towers over the narrow street.
London… and Bristol
The East End of London, especially the multi-ethnic area around Brick Lane and the nearby industrial quarters of Shoreditch and Spitalfields, are the Louvre of street art.
Highlights here include street-art star Shepard Fairey’s dramatic, propaganda-style posters, almost always done in his signature colours of black, red and white and accompanied by his tag, Obey.
Fairey is famous for his now-iconic Obama poster.
You can also find poignant stencils from Grafter (the artist behind the ‘Don’t vote, it only encourages them’ stencil of a man holding up a billboard).
Of course, you can’t talk about street art without mentioning Banksy and, if you are really observant, and lucky, you may even find a few remaining, if tampered with, Banksy pieces.
But diehard Banksy fans may wish to head to the artist’s home city of Bristol, where one of his latest murals outside a Park Street medical clinic is hopefully still untouched.
Leake Street, just around the corner from Waterloo Station, is by far the most accessible and convenient graffiti space in London and was the site of Banksy’s 2008 Cans Festival.
Artists are constantly spraying over old works, sometimes so fast that are not photographed properly before they are replaced.
If you’re lucky, you may get to see pieces by Tizer, Cept and Parlee.
Paris
Interestingly, while two of the world’s most famous street artists hail from Paris, their work is hardly seen in Paris today.
Blek le Rat is a pioneer of the stencil movement, and JR’s monumental photographic portraits have adorned walls from the Gaza Strip to the Tate Modern in London.
But you can try your luck in the 20th Arrondissement neighbourhoods of Belleville and Ménilmontant.
Also look out for Jef Aerosol’s stenciled portraits of musicians or Invader’s tile aliens and Pac-Man-style ghosts both in the bohemian-chic district of Le Marais.
And although it’s not street art per se, a word has to be said about graffiti on trucks, which is the most sophisticated of its kind in the world.
Horfé is the famous name in this kind of art. This artist has been writing on walls, shop façades, roof tops, train sidings and trucks in Paris for a good 12 years.
His style of graffiti is unique, blending typography and flat coloured illustration.
And, of course, don’t forget to look out for C215’s works here.
New York City: Manhattan
Chelsea is your best bet for spotting street art in New York City.
Start with the block of 21st Street between 10th and 11th Avenues; the walls outside and across from the Eyebeam Gallery are almost always thickly decorated.
Look out for intricate wheatpaste designs – which are painted, drawn, cut out, and then affixed like sheets of wallpaper – from street artists like Gaia, Imminent Disaster and Swoon; bold posters from Shepard Fairey and Dain; and mosaic-tile aliens and robots from Invader.
São Paulo
Although not all of us may have been to Brazil, many of us were given a good insight into the country thanks to the World Cup being held there last summer.
You may have also seen some of the rebellious street art that sprang up during this time, such as the image of the poor, undernourished boy, with the words ‘Need food, not football’ stenciled over him.
São Paulo has a long history of political street art and is something of a giant, sprawling outdoor gallery.
Head to the hip neighbourhood of Vila Madalena, on the city’s western edge, where the famous Beco do Batman (‘Batman Alley’) is covered with an ever-changing display of artwork.
Melbourne
You can’t talk about street art without mentioning Hosier Lane in Melbourne.
This is a bluestone, cobbled laneway on the southern edge of the central city grid of Melbourne adorned with some of the world’s most sophisticated urban and political art and its walls have become a popular backdrop for fashion and wedding photography.
That said, the quiet and narrow nearby Caledonian Lane comes a close second.
Of course, the problem with street art is that it is not housed in a protected art gallery and can be sprayed over any time.
So what are you waiting for? Go and buy that round-the-world ticket now!