#TravelTuesday – Buenos Aires
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On the cover: piece by Julián Campos Segovia, Jean Paul Jesses and Juan Carlos Campos, depicting Frida Kahlo, located in Palermo, Buenos Aires. | Photographed by BA Street Art.
Over the years, street art has become a way for cities to revive neighborhoods; a means for artists to express themselves in a more public space; a platform for activists to broadcast their messages; a medium for brands to let their colours show. From Miami to Lisbon, to Melbourne, and everything in between, the world has become a large canvas to discover.
MURAL Blog, in collaboration with Air Canada Corporate Rewards, introduces #TravelTuesday, a street art destination content series, where each piece will explore an artsy city’s unique street art culture.
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Unlike other cities (and luckily for local street artists) the only permission you need to paint over a building in Buenos Aires is the owner’s. No need to obtain the approval of local authorities or filing of paperwork. These particularly friendly laws have led to the development of a very active street art scene. Currently one of the biggest attraction for tourists, many street art enthusiasts flock to see Buenos Aires’ colourful streets.
Friendly laws, plenty of empty walls and many international street art events quickly made Buenos Aires at the top of many street artists’ must-go-to destination. As a matter of fact, in the last few years, the Argentinian metropolis attracted several renowned artists from all over the world, such as Blu, Roa, Fintan Magee, and Ron English to name a few. With no surprise, the city’s is also home to some of today’s best street artists.
Local Street Artists to Know
This famous Argentinian artist is known for his massive murals showcasing unique hyper-realistic and surreal imagery.
Movement is at the heart of this Argentinian artist’s creations. Scenes of humans or animals fighting is his trademark.
Playing with primary colours and geometric shapes, Elian’s body of work are absolute eye-catchers in their surprising simplicity.
Where to Go?
As Buenos Aires is one of the largest cities in the world, going on a street art hunt might seem like a colossal feat. Have no fear, we did all the hard work for you so that you don’t miss any of the must-sees. Here is our Buenos Aires bucket list:
- Palermo
Known as the artsy, creative and hip neighbourhood, Palermo is filled with cute coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants and amazing street art.
Piece by Fintan Magee, organised by BA Street Art.
- Cogegiales
Just a little outside Palermo, Cogegiales is also a great place to spot some street art. Its flea market, Mercado de las pulgas, is especially covered with a great variety of murals, most resulting from the 2011’s Meeting of the Styles Festival.
Piece by Blu, photographed by BA Street Art.
- Villa Urquiza
A predominantly residential neighbourhood, Villa Urquiza is often overlooked by tourists. A few years ago, hundreds of buildings were evicted in order to construct motorways. To artists’ advantage, these motorways were never built leaving several abandoned buildings as the perfect canvases for muralists.
Piece by Martin Ron, organised by BA Street Art.
- Abasto
Former home to tango icon Carlos Gardel, this neighbourhood is now filled with various portraits of the popular singer.
Piece by Marino Santa Maria, photographed by Matt Fox-Tucker, founder of BA Street Art.
- Barracas
Abandoned warehouses and colourful murals make a beautiful contrast in this working-class neighbourhood, where the Meeting of Styles Festival left its mark in 2012.
Piece by Martin Ron.
- La Boca
Recognized for its colourful little houses, this very touristy neighbourhood has been further saturated with colour by many local and international street artists as part of the ColorBA Festival.
Piece by Ben Eine.
Initiated by Graffitimundo, Galeria Union’s manifesto, like the non-profit organization that founded it, is to promote Buenos Aires’ culture of urban art and support their artists.
- Frederico Lacroze metro station
Since 2013, more than a dozen metro stations have been transformed into giant canvases by various artists in an effort to beautify the commuter’s space. Arguably one of the most famous mural as a result of this project is Frederica Lacroze’s metro station. Featuring a jungle rainforest completed with exotic animals, tropical plants, and indigenous tribesmen, crawling over 100 meters of the metro walls.
Piece by Animalito Land, Ice, Oz Montania, Luxor, El Marian, Jiant, Malegria, and Primo, organised by BA Street Art.
To truly make the most of your trip and absorb the best of Buenos Aires, you can also enroll in one of the many street art tours offered in the city, like Buenos Aires Street Art‘s or Graffitimundo‘s.
