The sprawling graffiti and urban art are generally tolerated due to government's lack of funds to put up a cleaning squad. For a city that has been built on a swamp land, bombed-out places and debts, it has managed to gain attention from UNESCO to be credited as Europe's City of Design. It's an artists' playground. And the streets are their canvas.
A part of River Spree that separates Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. 'Fuck Off Media Spree' is a message to capitalist property investors who wanted to privatize public spaces. The portrait on the right is half of the Brooklyn-based German duo artists called Various and Gould and was done by the famous Portuguese street artist named Vhils. The mural was commissioned by Levi's for their Go Forth Campaign.
Here's another Vhils' work spotted at RAW complex. This is a portrait of Fadi Saad, who is a neighborhood manager and youth worker in Berlin. Vhils is under the same London street art gallery as Banksy and is one of the most prolific street artists of our generation. What's interesting about his method is that he uses white plaster and explosives to create his artworks. You can even watch his process on YouTube in glorious slow motion.
I wasn't able to spot the other 2 murals, that of Sven Marquadt (Berghain's notorious doorman and a renowned photographer), and Joe Hatchiban (mastermind behind Mauerpark's Bearpit Karaoke every Sunday). Perhaps next time.
Continuing on...
More street art in RAW:
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| Berlin local artist Alias. |
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| Barcelona-based artist Ratillo X. |
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| Melbourne-based Matt Adnate |
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| Adelaide born artist Jimmy C. perfected the technique of drip painting with the use of aerosols or spray cans. |
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| Berlin local artist Alaniz. |
At Haus Schwarzenberg, Mitte:
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| Another Jimmy C. piece |
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| Colombian street artist Stinkfish with Alaniz (under a paste-up) |
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| Berlin-based artist El Bocho |
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| El Bocho is also responsible for Little Lucy and her Dead Cat. |
Around Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Mitte:
