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A Visual Guide To Barcelona's Street Art

Squat House in Sant Antoni
Squat House in Sant Antoni | Photo by Alison Moss

If you do not have the time to lose yourself in Barcelona’s alleys in order to discover some great street art, or if you’re planning a trip to the artistic city and want some inspiration of where to find the local street art, hop on our virtual tour of some of the city’s most colorful streets. From inspiring poetry to sculptures made out of trash, here is a visual guide to Barcelona’s eclectic urban creations.

Art Is a Common Good…Yet It Is Consumed by Unkown

Food for thought

You might come across these thought-provoking quotes pretty much anywhere in the city, but especially in the Raval. Besides reflecting on the nature of art, these unknown urban poets also share their thoughts about life in few yet striking words. These wall scribbles are a wonderful way to enter into the minds of these curious artists and poets who live in and visit this creative city.

Together Forever by Unknown
You Are Love by Unknown
Live and Let Live Without Remorse by Unknown

Precisely because these quotes are so stripped down and unadorned, they engage the distracted passerby to ponder on deeper issues that he or she usually leaves unattended in day-to-day life. Curious walls to reflect a curious city.

Graffity Sucks Like Deepthroat by Unknown

A Taste Of Your Own Medicine

Although it may seem ironic, these mysterious prints seemingly condemn graffiti artists. But do they really? Much speculation has revolved around the author of these prints and the mystery still pervades. Is this message truly propagated by the Barcelona city hall, which has decided to give Graffiti artists a taste of their own medicine, or is this a clever criticism of the repression that the government exerts on street art? It seems that there may be a smarter and more creative agenda beneath the visuals, perhaps a mockery of the restriction that graffiti and street artists can face in the city.

Graffity Sucks Like Deepthroat by Unknown

The bold crossing out of the image below leads us to think that somebody was pretty convinced that these prints were in fact anti-graffiti propaganda. Or could that simply be part of the storytelling attached to this message? This art leaves the passer-by with much to consider. What is your stance on the debate?

Look out for the Classics

Aside from these interesting newcomers, Barcelona’s streets will always have room for street-art heavyweights. This friendly pacifier, for instance, has been on Barcelona’s streets since the nineties.

El Xupet Negre

The author of this frisky logo, better known by his pseudonym ‘El Xupet Negre,’ has showcased his work in almost twenty exhibitions. His art has become part of the furniture in Barcelona and has marked itself as an iconic reflection of Barcelona’s street art scene.

Much like El Xupet Negre, Francisco de Pájaro‘s Basquiat-like figures have been scattered all over the streets since 2009.

A Francisco de Pájaro drawing in the Raval

This Extremaduran artist has made quite a name for himself with his notorious slogan ‘Art is Trash,’ an accurate description of his militant battle against the institutionalization of art, which drives all of his work.

Monumental Paintings

Street artists are usually constrained by time when producing their works. Still, some pieces are crafted with such care and attention to detail that we cannot help but wonder how their authors were able to produce such elaborated works in such a limited amount of time.

Squat House in Sant Antoni
Untitled Painting near Plaza Cataluña
Painted door in the Raval

These monumental paintings tend to be located near the Raval or Poblenou, so be sure to bring your camera along when visiting these areas!

Collages

If you start looking closely, you will soon realize that there are countless posters stuck in the most unexpected places. All over the city, sprinkling character and unique identity across the streets. Barcelona is a canvas for the art of many incredible street artists.

Untitled prints in Carrer dels Elisabets
Various prints in Carrer Ferlandina
Untitled Print
Untitled Prints

Although these small gems might be hard to spot at first glance, they also contribute to transforming Barcelona’s streets into a life-size museum in which any artistic medium and message can be represented.

If you like what you see and you’re planning a trip to Barcelona, be sure to book a Street Art Tour in advance. Enjoy the city’s vibrant character and art.

About the author

Alison is a PhD student in Aesthetics and Art Theory who is focusing her research on the definition of abstraction in contemporary art. As an avid reader, writer and art-lover she spends most of her time in libraries and museums, but she also thoroughly enjoys exploring the city’s hidden spots on the lookout for anything quirky and eccentric. Finding a dusty old knicknack in an antique fair or an outlandish sculpture at a flea market are simple joys that can make her day.

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