Tours4Fun’s Best Underground Cities for Spotting Street Art

Submitted by alessandra.roqueta on Tue, 05/15/2012 - 13:43

While many people talk about London, L.A., Sao Paolo, and Melbourne as the Mecca’s of street art, there still remain a slew of global street art movements that coexist among their urban pioneers.

Mexico City
From the political murals of Diego Rivera to the intricate cultural artistry of Nuezz, Mexico is no stranger to fantastic murals and street art. Pixel Pancho, Saner, and the Moz Crew have all left their marks in the streets of Mexico City. Only in the last couple of years has Mexico City sanctioned legal graffiti art projects.

Rio De Janeiro
In 1999 Rio launched a campaign, “Don’t Tag, Graffiti” to encourage a more artistic approach to street art by showcasing talented graffiti artists of the area. Then in 2009, Rio sanctioned a new law that allowed street art as long as it was done with consent from the owners of the building. It seems that this underlining encouragement from the city has brought a new growth of street art that is becoming more recognized globally.

Barcelona
Barcelona is no stranger to avant-garde art scenes. The streets reflect this creative expression with architects like Gaudi that inspire at every corner and graffiti masters like Pez that create statement pieces out of blank wall canvases. The city of Barcelona is a maze in itself, with topsy turvy alleyways and cobblestone streets. It’s the perfect place to wander and find yourself stumbling upon piece after piece of graffiti from artists all over the globe.

Ghent, Belgium
Ghent is the 4th largest Belgium city, known for its Flemish architecture and Belgian charm; it has also seen an increase in graffiti art exposure. Famous international artists like Roa have sprung straight from Ghent and dust the streets with their impressive murals. In Ghent there is a pact between graffiti artists and the city where the city will provide designated areas for graffiti as long as the artists keep their artwork within the confines of that area. Designated graffiti streets have now become popular tourist attractions.

Lisbon, Portugal
In May 2010 Lisbon launched the CRONO Project which sought to transform dilapidated buildings into artwork using local artists. Massive murals have brought a fresh face to edifices around the city, adding to Lisbon’s urban character. This along with the already thriving undercurrent of street art in Portugal makes Lisbon a top spot for catching some colorful masterpieces.

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