A Visual Guide To Barcelona's Street Art

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.

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.

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?

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. What is your stance on the debate?

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.

The author of this frisky logo, better known by his pseudonym ‘El Xupet Negre,’ has showcased his work in almost twenty exhibitions.

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

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.

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.

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

If you start looking closely, you will soon realize that there are countless posters stuck in the most unexpected places.

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.
By Alison Moss