The best street art makes you pause. You’re walking down the street — a coffee in one hand, your cell in the other — and then BAM: you’re hit with an array of shapes and colors so attention-grabbing that all you can do is stop. And then take an Instagram picture. And then, after you’ve received your likes and responded to comments of “omg where is that?” you may even think of taking an art class or at least getting together with someone to discuss the deeper meaning of whatever it is that forced you to freeze-frame. (Sometimes, when I see this “Great Adventure” mural in SF, I think of how I should take risks more and change my life!)
No matter where you live, there’s bound to be great street art in your general metropolitan area. But sometimes the street art you know (and love and show off to all your friends when they visit) is not enough, and if the road is calling your name, here are some places you can visit this summer to see the best street art in the world.
Adelaide, Australia
Adelaide is home to some of the most beautiful and most colorful street art on earth. Not only is much of it permanent — the government’s “vibrancy” mandate allows for the art to be planned and curated — but it’s also diverse, including stenciling, yarn bombing, and paste ups. Visit during a festival to see art everywhere or stop by Rundle Street, Hindley Street, Ebenezer Place and under the Morphett Street Bridge to witness works by renowned local and international artists.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is known for its graffiti, so if you’re an aficionado, you’ll find plenty to admire here. Come for the art, stay for the city’s parks, beer, and festivals. Chase David Bowie’s history through the streets. And do it all as you take in murals, illustrations, and tags that span buildings from their roofs to the concrete.
Toronto, Canada
There’s more to Toronto than Drake, and if you’re looking to visit a street art scene that just won’t quit, it’s time you booked a ticket — or at least did an Instagram search — for Graffiti Alley, a kilometer of street art that you can’t afford to miss. Or take a ride over to Kensington Market or The Ossington Laneway. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
Los Angeles, California
Sometimes the most beautiful art is the most simple. While you’ll find elaborate work all throughout Los Angeles — it’s the first city to host a major museum show dedicated to the subject — you should absolutely take a trip to Paul Smith’s flagship store on Melrose. There you’ll find an iconic pink wall (most recently painted rainbow for Pride) crowded by every person hoping to make a name for themselves on Instagram. But that’s only the beginning. With work by major artists and indie prodigies all over city, you’ll never want for either art or sunshine.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVkIx2uhVKt/?taken-at=219603248
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEcK5DnGzF_/?taken-at=2136244
New York, New York
New York never sleeps, and neither do the city’s street artists. From Manhattan to Brooklyn to Coney Island, the greatest city on earth (subjective) will offer you urban art even more beautiful than the view from the Empire State Building.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
This Argentinian city isn’t just a good place to view street art, it’s a great place to be a street artist, just in case that was a future plan you were making for yourself. Here, you’ll find work rooted in politics and revolution against the government as well as art that’s funded by ad agencies and production companies. And with the government sanctioning works as well, street artists are taking over all the walls they can get their spray cans on.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSeruoggt8c/?taken-by=francofasolijaz&hl=en
Mexico City, Mexico
Want to see some art while visiting D.F.? Skip the museum and wander through the capital’s streets, taking in gorgeous murals and ever-shifting artistic landscapes — from the historic, to the religious, to the unapologetically quirky.
London, UK
London’s got everything: Street art that spans whole buildings; tiny people left on busy streets; Banksy. Sure, you could traipse around the city looking for the elusive artist’s works, but you’d be remiss if you didn’t stop by the Leake Street Tunnel, which might be hard to find if you don’t know your way around but will reward you with the most awe-inspiring graffiti you’ve ever seen.
Lisbon, Portugal
The streets of Lisbon have been referred to as an “open-air museum,” filled with an ever-changing array of masterpieces which ranges from graffiti to giant murals that take up whole sides of buildings. The urban art scene has been booming since 2008, when the city created the Urban Art Gallery (GAU) to celebrate street art; and grew even larger in 2010, when the CRONO project, described by one of its creators as an “urban creativity experiment” took over the walls of the city.
Much of the original art is gone, but new works have taken up their place and tour guides even offer guided street art explorations.
Paris, France
https://www.instagram.com/p/BViAKgglMh-/?tagged=parisstreetart&hl=en
The city of love could soon be in for a title change. In 2016, city hall announced that a large portion of 500 million euros the public needs to spend before 2020 would go towards creating wall art in all of Paris’ neighborhoods. They haven’t all been completed yet, but you don’t have to wait another three years to enjoy Paris’ love affair with urban expression. There’s so much art to explore that you may just need to visit more than once.
