March 9. Street Art Tour
By Ariel Campbell
On a rainy day in Barcelona, we met our tour guide, Juan, for the Hidden Street Art Tour run by Art Space. Despite the terrible weather, our guide’s enthusiasm for the world of street art brightened our day as he led us on an incredible tour. Armed with our umbrellas, we embarked on our adventure.
Our first stop was Tres Ximenis, a legal graffiti spot where artists of all skill levels can practice their craft on sanctioned walls. The park was adorned with vibrant pieces, showcasing both budding and established artists. Juan, who is also an artist and muralist, explained how the space allows artists to work side by side. Although the park itself is a legal graffiti zone, the nearby abandoned power plant remains illegal to work inside of, adding an element of allure for adventure-seeking artists. For some graffiti artists, the element of how dangerous or illicit the work is enhances their notoriety.
Juan began by sharing the history of graffiti culture in the city, which originated around 1975 after Franco’s death. The movement gained momentum in the 1980s and ’90s, influenced by global street art trends from places like New York and the rise of MTV. While the street art movement faced setbacks in the ’90s and early 2000s, it was evident during our exploration that street art culture is alive and well in Barcelona.
As we strolled through the streets, Juan highlighted Barcelona’s vibrant paste-up culture. These are pieces made of paper and wheat paste, easily applied to surfaces and more durable in Barcelona’s typically dry climate, making them more popular in Barcelona than many other cities. These works are created off-site and then applied by adhesive and can be done in multiple panels to create large works in very little time on activation. We encountered several paste-up artists’ work, often repeating the same imagery. One artist, Teo Vazquez, created larger-than-life pieces that specifically highlighted historically disenfranchised peoples, including the homeless community and LGBTQ+ community. On the open-air Arnau Street Art Gallery, he depicted Barcelona’s oldest living drag queen. In another, an interesting stylized portrait of a man who used to live outdoors on that very block. Other paste-up artists we saw on our tour included White Rabbit, Kaya Art, Colp One, and Universal Humanity.
In addition to paste-ups and spray tags, Juan showed us other street art forms, including miniature sculptures and tiled stickers. Street art is traditionally thought of as painting, but these artists have reimagined what the practice can be by creating three-dimensional works that, while still illegal, often remain preserved. He explained that in Barcelona, if works are deemed to be of artistic value, the council often preserves them, painting around these pieces during renovations, as they enhance the city’s appeal.
Our tour included the El Poblenou, Gothic, and El Raval neighborhoods, and each one had a very different approach to street art. The Gothic Quarter was notable for its commissioned pieces, with many storefronts featuring art created by well-known artists, both local and international. In the Gothic Quarter, many works are commissioned, allowing acclaimed and skilled artists the time to work without having to watch their backs for police, a luxury that allows them to create incredible work. Artists like Konair, Bronik, Tim Marsh, and Ivana Flores have created masterpieces on these streets.
A highlight of the tour was a visit to the Ashwan Gallery, where artists connected to street art had their studios and gallery spaces. The gallery owner provided insights into the artists’ practices, ranging from classically trained to those working with recycled materials. It was a really interesting and engaging way to connect with the artist’s gallery and studio space owner and learn more about the process.
Overall, the tour was an excellent showcase of various practices, mediums, neighborhoods, and motivations within the street art world, featuring works from as early as the 1930s to those created just days before.