Street art is everywhere in Berlin. Peeping from corners of doorways. Shouting from the sides of huge buildings. Inviting you to look, think, wonder. Perhaps it was my visit to the East Side Gallery on my first day, or perhaps simply the sheer number of artworks. My eyes were constantly drawn side-to-side, wondering what I would see next to challenge or entertain me.
East Side Gallery
Artist unknown
I had read that the area of Kreuzberg, one of Berlin’s less-polished neighbourhoods, was home to some great examples of street art and a little bit of googling led me to this great self-guided walk on Everytrail. I knew I wanted to see a different area of Berlin to the central and Mitte areas I had wandered so far, and this walk includes the famous ‘Astronaut-Space Crusader’. I jumped on the U-bahn down to Kottbusser Tor and followed my nose (and the guide) around the streets.
Astronaut – Space Crusader by Victor Ash
The Wall by Blu
A lot of the artworks on this walk were highly political in tone, from Blu’s Wall to the children pointing a finger gun. This latter work was the one I found the most affecting. Not only do I think that children with weapons are inherently sad, but the location of the artwork and the defeated air of the men sitting beneath it all combined to make a deep impression on me.
Yellow Man by Os Gemeos
Rounded Heads by Nomad
Like the street art that I’ve seen in Naples and in Athens, there was a huge variety in style and scale. I’d love to learn more about the stories behind some of them, and whether the artists had a personal relation to the space they painted in.
The Lads by London Police
Artwork by Stik
Leviathan by Blu
Of course, this is just a teeny glimpse into the ever-changing street art of Berlin – I’ll be sure to look out for more on my next trip!
Where have you spotted street art? Do you have a favourite artist?
(If you spot that I have incorrectly named any of the artists, or you know one that I have not named, please let me know!)
