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Berlin Street Art

Berlin Street Art

by Emiel Van Den Boomen

Berlin Street Art

Bitte Lebn (Please Live).

This was the one piece of graffiti or street art (depends how you look at it) in Berlin that for me summarizes it all: Please Live. On top of an apartment block it looks really dreadful at first glance, but the message is powerful and for me carries the full history of the city of Berlin.

Berlin is all about street art. Photographers walk around the city, searching for new pieces of graffiti. Some call it street art, others are ashamed of this kind of city pollution. Well, at the very least they are all messages coming from another side of society.

Berlin Street Art

I don’t have to explain you about the history of Berlin and specifically the Berlin Wall. But when you walk around the city, I want you to notice the messages. They are messages about peace, about lessons from the past, about why you can live a happy life with what you’ve got. “Today is a gift”, seems to be a good caption for this street art.

A great place to start watching street art is the East Side Gallery where the longest still standing piece of the Berlin Wall is situated. Artists used the remains of the Wall to create outdoor masterpieces. It’s quite popular and maybe you have seen many of these images before (like me). Still these poets of imagery keep drawing my attention, remembering me about freedom.

Berlin with kids

Berlin Street Art

Berlin Street Art

Berlin Street Art

Berlin street art in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

At the end of this open-air museum, cross the famous Oberbaum bridge and walk a bit around Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg to watch more recent (and less cultivated) street art.

Berlin Street Art

Berlin Street Art

You can call it city pollution, but reality is that this has become a part of the city. Berlin is a city of extremes and some of its inhabitants are still reaching out to the public to speak out. You could conclude that Berlin is searching for its real identity where groups are still not aligned. What do you think?

Berlin Street Art

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11 comments

Margaux April 9, 2014 - 16:16

Guten Tag,

I’m a French Student and for my final art exam, I must to do an analysis of
“Berlin is Poor but Sexy” (9th photo of your post) but I didn’t found the name of the street artist. I don’t know if you can help me but, do you know who is he ?

If you could tell it to me, you would help me a lot!

Thanks in advance !

Margaux Philippon

Reply
Emiel van den Boomen April 9, 2014 - 22:09

Hello Margaux! That is actually a very great subject for an art exam. But I am so sorry that I can’t help you, I don’t know the name of that artist. I do wish you all the best though with your exam.

Reply
Curious Street Art from Berlin | Urban Ghosts | October 31, 2013 - 16:41

[…] of all the art that is sprayed upon the streets of Berlin, there is one message that is prominent: freedom. The city of Berlin itself is entwined with the notion of ‘freedom versus oppression’, […]

Reply
Bama July 14, 2012 - 16:24

It’s only recently that I love graffiti and murals. The ones in Berlin look so interesting!

Reply
Emiel July 15, 2012 - 20:14

Thanks Bama, but how come you just recently started to love graffiti?

Reply
Ad-lib Traveller July 12, 2012 - 09:23

As a fan of street art, I really enjoyed this post and your photos. Nice to sees the appreciation for art that challenges our perception.

Reply
Emiel van den Boomen July 12, 2012 - 12:48

Thank you very much, that’s great to hear. I love your words: ‘challenges our perception’.

Reply
bringingtravelhome July 11, 2012 - 07:23

I didnt pay attn to street art in berlin last I was there, so thanks for this post! The image of the many faces is moving. interesting much is in english also.

Reply
Emiel van den Boomen July 12, 2012 - 12:47

Thank you Monique. Lot is indeed in English I actually didn’t realize that…

Reply
Lesley Peterson July 8, 2012 - 20:25

I’ve heard good things about Berlin: affordability, art. Interesting pics!

Reply
Emiel van den Boomen July 9, 2012 - 15:55

Thanks Lesley! All the good things you heard are most probably true 🙂

Reply

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