A traveling suitcase, half empty to fill it up with those wonderful and unforgettable moments we live. Inside there is a camera to immortalize them. Our memories are art and art evokes the memories of those trips which have changed us. The streets through which we have walked tell us their particular stories through urban art. Now, the asphalt and the walls are our museums; and the graffiti photos have a lot to say.
If you are passionate about art, but you can’t afford to spend part of your salary on museum tickets every time you take a trip; in case you like contemporary and social art, art that criticizes and raises your voice; or whether you like art that creates a revolution, we have the perfect solution for you: graffiti art.
Far from the acts of vandalism that many people think of when they visualize graffiti in their minds, what we encourage you to do is to take pictures of those graffiti that are true artistic gems and that you can find in different cities and countries.
Wherever we go, we will be surrounded by graffiti art to photograph, because it is a modality that, with the passage of time, has been acquiring more and more fame, relevance and importance. Therefore, today we are going to recommend a series of places where urban art stands out, so you can take pictures of the best murals decorated with graffiti in the most important cities.
First stop. Graffiti photos in Berlin: a visit to admire and photograph graffiti with history
Who hasn’t heard of the most historic mural – and wall – in Berlin? It is none other than The Kiss, created by Russian artist Dimitri Vrubel, who was summoned after the fall of the wall to immortalize and take graffiti photos of the fraternal kiss between the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Brezhnev, and the General Secretary of the Unified Socialist Party and President of the German Democratic Republic, Erich Honecker.
Below the story of the kiss, the following sentence can be read in German: “God, help me to survive this lethal love”.
Quarter of Friedrichshain – Kreuzberg
If you like murals with political connotations, in Berlin you can see and take graffiti photos of Obama, Merkel and Putin representing the three mystical monkeys of Japanese culture, i.e., neither hear, nor speak nor see.
We continue with murals full of history and philosophy. In this same neighborhood you can find the beautiful mural Homo Homini Lupus, a Latin locution popularized by the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes in the 17th century, but created by the Latin comedian Plautus: Lupus est homo homini, non homo, quom qualis sit non novit, that is, Wolf is the man for the man, and not man, when he does not know who the other is.
Graffiti photos at the Dead Chicken Alley
In this alley you can photograph the best graffiti in Berlin. Of all of them, stands out for its history, the portrait in honor of Anne Frank, a historical character that needs no introduction. As we can see, street art and graffiti photos are the voice of those who can no longer speak and have stories to tell.
Second stop. Graffiti photos in Prague: take a picture of yourself in this famous European city.
Malá Strana district
If you like street art, freedom of expression and you are a beatlemaniac, you can’t miss the famous graffiti photos on the John Lennon Wall, located in Velkopřevorské náměstí square. The origin of this wall comes after the murder in 1980 of John Lennon, one of the former members of the most famous British rock band from Liverpool. This Beatle was, in life and in death, considered a hero by pacifists in Central and Eastern Europe.
When John Lennon was murdered, paintings and phrases from his songs began to appear in defiance of the Czech authorities. None of the multiple attempts by the authorities to erase the mural served to make the pacifists surrender.
Third stop. Graffiti photos in London: from Bansky’s East London to the most unknown gems for tourists in the city.
Visiting Victorian London is all well and good. But setting aside a day to go to East London and dedicate yourself to take graffiti photos and visit the wonderful London street art as if there was no tomorrow should be a must.
However, the artistic expression of graffiti in London does not end in this neighborhood, but much of the city is full of this wonderful urban art that you can photograph to keep as a souvenir.
Clink Street Tunnel
A mandatory stop for those who love street art/ graffiti photos and William Shakespeare‘s plays. You may not be able to take a picture with him in person, but you can immortalize the memory by taking a picture with his artwork.
Graffiti photos in Brixton
If, on the other hand, you are more into music than theater, your obligatory stop is in Brixton, a neighborhood located in the south of London, where you can take a picture of the graffiti of David Bowie himself. Moreover you should know that the area is known because of its great electronic music clubs.
Waterloo
Waterloo station hides a wonderful treasure, a hidden gem for many travellers and even Londoners interested in graffiti photos. No, it is not Platform 9 and ¾ that will transport you to a magical world. The magic comes from the hand of the graffiti artists who, once they discovered the Leake Street tunnel, where Basky painted his works in 2008, many street artists created on the already painted different graffiti to express their feelings.
You can take as many pictures of the graffiti as you want, your retina will not see the same image twice.
Camden Town
Once in London, you can’t miss the fantastic neighborhood of Camden Town for many reasons. If you are an antique objects’ collector, this is your place. If you like, in addition, the gastronomic tours or drink a beer in a good bar, this is your neighborhood; but also if you are passionate about the artistic world of graffiti, you should not miss the following spots, where you will be able to see the best street art in London and also you can take graffiti photos that are worth remembering.
- Camden Road,
- Hawley Street,
- Camden Lock,
- Castlehaven Road,
- Kentish Town Road or
- Jamestown Road,
Last stop. Graffiti photos in Paris –or the two sides of the same coin
When we mention Paris, the most elite neighborhoods and the richest districts of the French capital probably come to mind. But we must remember that Paris is not only bourgeoisie and elitism, it is also art, revolution… revolutionary art. Would any spot come to your mind when talking about graffiti photos?
Indeed, Paris is a city where street art is very present, from the most bohemian neighborhoods like Montmartre, where Picasso used to exhibit his art, to the fantastic and unforgettable 59 Rivoli… Doesn’t it ring a bell?
59 Rue Rivoli
As a picture is worth a thousand words, we show you this wonderful building open to the public and full of graffiti photos.
59 Rivoli is nothing more and nothing less than an abandoned building occupied by artists with limited resources who move to this area of the French capital to create and exhibit their artworks. The building has become a street art gallery with 30 studios.
In 1999, artists known as KGB knocked down the door of the building, which had been abandoned for fifteen years at the time, and when it was reopened, they began to hold cultural events for Parisian hippies, which the government was not amused by, so they took legal action to “shut down the cultural party”.
Fortunately, they did not succeed, since Delanoë, after winning the elections, regularized the 59 Rivoli and we can enjoy wonderful graffiti that happen to be the ultimate expression of street art in Paris.
Cooltourspain opinion about graffiti photos
What’s true is that not all people will have the opportunity to travel, so why don’t you buy second-hand books in Spain and start enjoying observing graffiti photos from your sofa?
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