![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@catscoffeecreativity.jpg\")
<\/p>\nYou can\u2019t ask for a more colourful lens on the world than to view it through its street art. In any city you\u2019re in, take a longer look at the painted, tagged, stickered or wheat-pasted facades around you, and you\u2019ll get a story about a place \u2014 usually, a different story than what the local tourism board wants you to see.<\/p>\n
The 13 cities on this list do it even better than most. These are the places where urban art helped a city to heal after an earthquake, where it communicates the anger of life under occupation, where it built a non-violent sanctum out of the infrastructure of war, and where it combines with distinctive architecture to create compositions you\u2019ll only see once in a lifetime.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the nature of the beast that such artworks are temporary. Whether by weather or human intervention, they\u2019ll eventually be destroyed. If it seems like a work you\u2019ve made the pilgrimage to view is gone, explore the neighbourhood and see what new art you can uncover instead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1-49 Suydam Street by @AdamFu<\/a>\u00a0\ud83d\udcf7: @catscoffeecreativity<\/a><\/p>\n More than anywhere else, it\u2019s New York that can claim to being the birthplace of contemporary street art. It was here, in the 1960s, that graffiti artists began \u201cbombing\u201d subway cars with tags and illustrations, and where, in the \u201880s, commercial artists like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat (who used the tag SAMO) painted on facades as often as canvases.<\/p>\n Some of the main NYC draws are the Houston Bowery Wall, a hot spot for street artists for going on 40 years; the Lower East Side, where even the shop roller shutters have been handed over to muralists; the 50-work-strong Bushwick Collective outdoor gallery in Brooklyn; and the Big Pun Memorial Mural in the Bronx, an annually changing ode to the local rapper.<\/p>\n Hostels in New York<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0travelk8sch<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Seeing the street art of Christchurch can be an emotional experience. New Zealand\u2019s third-largest city still shows the scars of the 2011 earthquake, which brought down buildings and cracked open streets in the CBD. This fractured urban landscape has spurred responses from artists ever since \u2014 first, from guerilla scrawlers who would sneak past the barricades of the Red Zone, then increasingly in the form of commissioned murals as local officials cottoned on to the healing powers of art.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the beautiful things about post-quake Christchurch was there was a free-for-all sense, with the broken setting inviting interventions,\u201d says Dr Reuben Woods of Watch This Space<\/a>, which runs street art tours of Christchurch. \u201cThe \u2018bandos\u2019 [abandoned buildings] that have been adorned in graffiti writing have a level of visibility unique to the post-quake city, while the murals produced for the litany of festivals over the last six years provide stunning \u2014 and for some more palatable \u2014 landmarks.\u201d<\/p>\n The city is so fond of its street art it\u2019s recently added an installation of eight larger-than-life spray cans to a public square at East Frame \u2014 they\u2019re designated as a legal spot for young artists to practice.<\/p>\n Hostels in Christchurch<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0tommy_jensen<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The birthplace of Jesus might not seem like the obvious port of call for street art. But the eight-metre-high wall built here by Israel to separate its population from the occupied Palestinians has long attracted street artists hungry to mark its surface with political statements \u2014 most notably, Banksy. Here is where you\u2019ll find some of the British artist\u2019s most famous stencils, including that of a girl frisking a soldier, a dove wearing a bulletproof vest and a man throwing flowers in place of a Molotov cocktail.<\/p>\n Banksy\u2019s connection to the place is so strong that he opened a hotel at the foot of the separation wall last year, the Walled Off. It\u2019s the ultimate immersive experience for any fan of his art. As well as what\u2019s described as \u201cthe worst view of any hotel in the world\u201d, it offers rooms decorated by Banksy and other artists. Some critics argue the venture risks turning the occupation into a Disneyland-like novelty. Plenty of others support the artist\u2019s moves to bring tourist dollars to Palestine.<\/p>\n By Un Kolor Distino<\/a>\u00a0\ud83d\udcf7@damy.bacho<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s only in the last eight years that urban art has really taken off in Valparaiso, according to Al Ramirez from tour operator Valpo Street Art<\/a>. But Chile\u2019s second-largest city has a unique look that means murals sit a little differently here than they do in your average metropolis.<\/p>\n \u201cMost places in the world, street art and graffiti fight the grey colors, and are often found in what many artists see as \u2018strategic places\u2019. Here, the art coexists with the many colours of Valparaiso,\u201d says Ramirez. \u201cThe city is full of old cobblestone, recycled siding on the colorful 19th-century houses, and it’s also as chaotic as imaginable, with many street dogs, and crazy wires on every corner post. So, graffiti and street art give it a certain harmony.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s legal to paint anywhere if you have the permission of the building\u2019s owner, and even if you don\u2019t, punishments are usually lenient. Two of the most influential artists on the scene are couple Sammy Espinoza and Cynthia Aguilera, who work together as Un Kolor Distinto. Look for their seasons-themed Equinox series \u2014 the fourth and final piece, just finished, spans a 22-storey building in the city port.<\/p>\n Hostels in Valparaiso<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0marni_may<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is home to what may be the most intensely embellished 12,500 square metres of urban real estate on the planet. Located just outside the city centre, Metelkova is an autonomous neighbourhood built on street art. Its bones are military barracks that were left abandoned after the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and subsequently squatted by artists and activists who wanted it used for creative purposes. Over the years, they transformed the grounds with layer upon layer of murals, glittering multi-level mosaics and a facade made of spindly goblin sculptures. They also built a community \u2014 at night, Metelkova\u2019s doors open to reveal bars, clubs, galleries and gathering spaces. Visitors flock here to see the larger-than-life art, but they stay to experience a different way of living and being in the world.<\/p>\n Metelkova\u2019s huge success as a cultural hub has won the acceptance of local authorities, who, for now, are letting the residents live rent-free and carry out their not-strictly-licensed activities undisturbed.<\/p>\n Hostels in Ljubljana<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0amogh_meshram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Nothing sings out to a street artist quite like a blank wall, and Berlin is home to the defining wall of the 20th century. During the Cold War, the west side of the Berlin Wall was covered in colourful, politically fuelled art, and when it came down in 1989, a 1.3-kilometre-long stretch of it was preserved and turned into a canvas for 105 different artworks. The East Side Gallery is still there, having been restored over the years. Thought to be the longest-lasting open-air gallery in the world, it\u2019s by no means Berlin\u2019s only urban art, but it was a strong foundation for a scene that continued to grow throughout the \u201890s and \u201800s.<\/p>\n See more by wandering Kreuzberg, Frierichshain, Schoneberg and Dircksenstrasse in Mitte and even heading indoors to the Urban Nation Museum of Contemporary Urban Art<\/a>, a gallery specifically designed for the appreciation of street art.<\/p>\n Hostels in Berlin<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@mc_adventures17<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Known as the cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne is packed with street art, especially around its warren of inner-city laneways. Locations like Hosier Lane, Routledge Lane, AC\/DC Lane, Duckboard Place, Centre Place, Union Lane and Croft Alley are gauntlets where riotous murals and scrappy tags fight for your attention.<\/p>\n As in a number of places on this list, the local government is torn between supporting the street art that pretties up neighbourhoods and criminalising the tagging and painting they don\u2019t deem to be of sufficient artistic merit. The City of Melbourne puts out an official street art map<\/a>, the \u201880s-era Keith Haring mural and Northcote Koori Mural are protected by listing on the Victorian Heritage Register, and you can paint in some of the most popular laneways without eliciting a second glance from passers-by. Just don\u2019t get caught carrying spray cans.<\/p>\n Hostels in Melbourne<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7<\/em><\/i>@storiesfrommyworld<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIn times of crisis people have the need for personal expression more than ever,\u201d says Tina Kyriakis of tour company Alternative Athens<\/a> , explaining why the Greek capital has seen a boom in street art in the last five or so years. Greece felt the effects of the late-2000s recession more than most countries, with massive government debt leading to unpopular austerity measures, bank closures and \u2014 at one point \u2014 higher than 50 percent youth unemployment. That\u2019s a lot of young people with not much to do. \u201cThe financial crisis also diminished the disposable income that people can dedicate to cleaning or repainting their house walls,\u201d Kyriakis adds.<\/p>\n Heavily tagged buildings are now a regular feature of the landscape of Athens, as are large-scale murals, many with a political bent. Look out for Manolis Anastasakos\u2019s 10-storey painting of outstretched hands (He Is Praying for Us<\/em>) on Piraeus Street, and WD\u2019s hyperrealistic owl (Knowledge Speaks \u2014 Wisdom Listens<\/em>) stretched across a street corner in Metaxourgio. And with the Greek economy now in recovery, there\u2019s a buzz to the city reminiscent of 2000s-era Berlin.<\/p>\n Hostels in Athens<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7@2ni_colas<\/a><\/em><\/i><\/p>\n The Argentine capital of Buenos Aires is another city where it\u2019s legal to paint on any building so long as you have the permission of the owner. It\u2019s made for a vibrant streetscape where you\u2019ll almost always find art poking into your line of sight.<\/p>\n Often, it\u2019s art of scale. Some of the city\u2019s most famous examples include local practitioner Martin Ron\u2019s<\/a> giant hyperreal turtle (titled Pedro Luj\u00e1n and his Dog<\/em> in reference to the two smaller figures underneath) diving out of a wall in Barracas, and the building-wide works by Ron and Italian muralist Blu at Villa Urquiza, a neighbourhood dominated by abandoned and derelict buildings.<\/p>\n Hostels in Buenos Aires<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7<\/em><\/i>@everywhere_is_on_our_list<\/a><\/p>\n The story of street art in George Town, the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang, is less about a grassroots movement and more about a top-down revitalisation of the city centre. Nevertheless, this is the grandmamma of Asian street art capitals, and its crumbling murals are some of the best Instagram fodder on the planet.<\/p>\n The art here has a cohesive quality, as a lot of it was commissioned from a few select artists by state authorities, who wanted new ways to accentuate the city\u2019s cultural highlights after it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Most influential are the works of Ernest Zacharevic. In 2012, he created six murals channelling scenes of everyday Malaysian life. Each painting interacts with the real world in some way, like Children on Bicycle<\/em> (complete with actual attached bicycle) and Little Girl in Blue<\/em>, who clambers over a building\u2019s windows. They\u2019re fading now, but that adds to their charm.<\/p>\n Hostels in George Town.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@dalerolfe<\/a><\/em><\/i><\/p>\n London is one of the original street art meccas. Its streets are synonymous with the political stencils of Banksy, the simple multi-storey figures of Stik and the detailed wildlife of ROA. A lot of works are clustered around East London, particularly Shoreditch and Brick Lane, which back in the late 90s and 2000s were huge hubs for artists. Rising rents have pushed most of them out, but their art has largely been preserved and continues to be a pillar of the neighbourhood\u2019s creative (though now more sanitised) culture.<\/p>\n Camden and Brixton are the UK capital\u2019s two other major destinations for urban art \u2014 search out Amy Winehouses in the former and David Bowies in the latter. For contemporary social commentary, keep an eye out for new stencils by Bambi, an anonymous feminist artist who is said to lead a double life as a successful singer. Her Lie Lie Land<\/em> image \u2014 featuring Donald Trump and Theresa May dancing in a parody of La La Land<\/em> \u2014 was an attraction in Islington before it was painted over earlier this year.<\/p>\n Hostels in London\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0@aballbounced<\/a><\/em><\/i><\/p>\n Surf culture meets yoga meets spirituality and street art in Bali, particularly among the sizeable expat community who have filtered in from Australia, Europe and the United States. The result is an island-wide treasure trove of urban art in village settings.<\/p>\n The highest quality and quantity can be found in the coastal town of Canggu. You might see overgrown children playing among beach shacks, a hostel-high woman deep in thought or a tiger bounding behind a rice field. Start by exploring the roads to Batu Bolong and Echo Beaches, as well as the ALLCAPS Gallery, an outdoor exhibition space spread across the walls of several warehouses.<\/p>\n Hostels in Canggu<\/a><\/p>\n Cape Town and Johannesburg rival each other for most memorable street art \u2014 a lot of it loaded with political messages that reflect on the country\u2019s recent history with apartheid.<\/p>\n But if there\u2019s one work you won\u2019t want to miss, it\u2019s Faith47\u2019s herd of zebras kicking up dust, just down from Ghandi Square in the city centre of Joburg. In the still male-dominated world of street art, Cape Town-born Faith47 is one of the most well-known female street practitioners internationally. She also has a more recent mural here \u2014 a six-storey photorealistic elephant in the suburb of Sandton. For more, wander around the inner-city neighbourhoods of Mabenong, Newtown, Braamfontein and Jeppestown.<\/p>\n Hostels in Johannesburg<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\nStreet art in Christchurch, New Zealand<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@travelk8sch_Christchurch_NZ.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Bethlehem, The West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@tommy_jensen_westbank.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Valparaiso, Chile<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Val_@damy.bacho_.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Ljubljana, Slovenia<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@marni_may_Ljubljana.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Berlin, Germany<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@amogh_meshram_Berlin.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Melbourne, Australia<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@matt-charl_travels_melbourne.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Athens, Greece<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Owl.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Buenos Aires, Argentina<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@2ni_colasstreetartBuenos_Aires.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in George Town, Penang, Malaysia<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@daringadventuresornothing.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in London, United Kingdom<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@thisproofoflife.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia<\/h2>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/@aballbounced_Canggu.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStreet art in Johannesburg, South Africa<\/h2>\n
About the author<\/h3>\n
![\"Street](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Street-art-graffiti-Pinterest-583x875.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"