Established and new artists have created dozens of murals in Vitoria-Gasteiz
In some cities of Spain, the facades of the buildings have ceased to be gray and anonymous to become immense canvases in which talented street artists express feelings, social claims and, ultimately, the change of times. authentic open air museums that, increasingly, capture the attention of local passers-by and visitors.
It's been a couple of decades cities tend to stop being a gray place composed of asphalt, glass, cement, brick, smoke and noise, all seasoned with a great deal of stress.
With the entrance of the 21st century, the concept of sustainable cities began to make way for green pushes. Thus, construction materials began to vary, energy self-sufficient buildings and orchards and rooftop gardens appeared.
The capital presents one of the best urban art routes in the country
Completing this change in the urban physiognomy, the facades of some buildings have served to capture, by blow of spray and creativity in abundance, the works of some artists that try to awaken, in many cases, social conscience.
In Spain, what began as an isolated phenomenon which focused on some abandoned buildings in the suburbs, gradually spread to emblematic buildings of the historic centers of our cities.
At present, they have been created street routes to enjoy some spectacular works that leave no one indifferent.
The capital presents one of the best urban art routes in the country. How could it be otherwise, most of the works decorate the walls of buildings in neighborhoods as bohemian and alternative as Malasaña or Lavapiés.
In the Malasaña area, Ze Carrion's politically and socially charged murals They show why there are not a few who compare his style with that of the popular Banksy. His work is found halfway between graffiti and urban art, using typical materials and designs from the world of graffiti, but with a pictorial concept that denotes his training in Fine Arts.
Also found here are the creations of E1000, one of the Spanish urban artists with the greatest presence on the international scene, who creates figures and scenes playing with the bars that cover doors and windows.
The Asociation Madrid Street Project carries out projects in which every year dozens of artists participate transform the facades of shops and buildings in Malasaña.
Something similar happens in the old Tabacalera de Lavapiés, where the project Tobacco Walls has recovered, between 2014 and 2019, the walls of the outer perimeter of a building that has become an important cultural and social center, dedicating space to artistic production workshops, dissemination of ideas and works, and social action.
The capital of the Turia is one of the most pleasant and hospitable cities in Spain. Through its wide and green avenues filters the Mediterranean breeze that comes from La Malvarrosa, to inspire the bohemian people who live in the alternative heart of Valencia: the Barrio del Carmen.
That neighborhood, and no other, is the epicenter of urban art shows in Valencia.
In Carmen appear the colorful and original murals created by local artists, such as Esik (great lover of the abstract), Julieta XF and Cere; and foreigners, like the Italians Blu and Enrica Il Cane and the Argentine hyuro, that is proud of being able to give a different face to the city in which she has lived for a few years.
The beautiful work of the Spanish Deih 'Bridge in Venice', in Moret street
Also the works of the popular Escif, an author very committed to social denunciation, covers the walls of central streets such as Peydro or squares such as La Merced. In that square is his work Animal Abuse.
Purísima, Calatrava, Numancia or Estameñería Vieja are other streets with murals, without forgetting that of Moret, where the precious work of the Spanish Deih, Bridge in Venice, It is one of the most admired in the city.
The city of Barcelona has the fame of having been the pioneer of urban art in Spain. For years, graffiti artists expressed their art on the walls of buildings in different districts of the city, but then the bans came.
These prohibitions gave rise to the appearance of associations such as Murs Lliures, who seek urban spaces where they can capture art without obstacles.
Some of the most visited neighborhoods on the urban mural routes in Barcelona are** Gràcia, El Raval, Sant Antoni and Poble Nou.** The latter was, in the past, the industrial heart of Barcelona. Now, its abandoned factories serve as a giant canvas for artists, many of whom live in the same neighborhood.
In Barcelona you will find wonderful works by renowned street authors, such as The fish –born in Barcelona and who has works scattered around places like London, Miami and Bogotá-, The Black Xupet , the Colombian chanoir Y btoy, a Barcelonan who captures her passion for painting and photography in vivid images of women that she usually paints on the surface of buildings that look decrepit and abandoned.
Demonstrating that sometimes the most exquisite essences are kept in small bottles, Vitoria-Gasteiz exhibits a marvel of urban murals in the historic center and in the streets of the working-class neighborhood of Zaramaga.
They are colorful and large creations, occupying the facades of old buildings and expressing the social commitment of the citizens of Vitoria. And it is that, in 2007, the movement was created here IMVG The Painted City (Vitoria-Gasteiz Mural Route) , which wanted to give the city an open space for participation and creation.
Since then, Established and new artists (with a large presence of female muralists) have created dozens of murals, not only in the center, but also in various educational centers and in the rural environment of the province.
The creation of each of the murals is done through a participatory and collaborative process open to neighbors.
On the Itinerario Muralístico website you can find all the details for go solo, but it is always much more complete if enjoyed with one of the great guides of the association.
Vitoria exhibits urban murals in the historic center and in the streets of the working-class neighborhood of Zaramaga
Among the most beautiful and striking murals in Vitoria are Eskuz Esku (Shoe Store) , made by Marta Gil Estremiana on Zapateria street; The colorful Zaramaga Lynx , of Karen Warner located on Reyes de Navarra street; Y The Light of Hope , of Michelle Angela Ortiz and Ivan Garcia Bartolome, a beautiful mural of great color contrast that can also be found on Zapatería street.
In the capital of the Costa del Sol, urban art has taken hold in recent years. The main foci are in the bohemian area of the Soho Malaga and in the neighborhood of Lagunillas.
In Soho – also known as the arts district – the movement has grown under the Museum of Contemporary Art and the MAUS Project (Málaga Urban Art Soho).
Here, in streets such as Tomás Heredia, Martínez Campos or Duquesa de Parcent, there are spectacular murals by internationally renowned artists, such as Roa, D*Face, DALeast or Flatxi. In addition, the creations have a QR code with which you can find out everything about each one of them.
Obey and D*Face
the of Lagunillas It is the typical humble and working-class neighborhood of all life. At present, it is a true cultural reference, revitalized thanks to initiatives launched by the neighbors themselves. The walls of its streets and houses are painted with the imaginative creations from local artists like Doger, Onze, Lalone or MCap.
Hundreds of artists from all over the world who They help our cities stop being asphalt jungles and turn them into magical and colorful forests. worthy of the best stories of our childhood.