A different kind of art
Architecture, culture and art are all things which can typically feature on your European river cruise excursions, though there’s a way of combining all these without ever entering a historic building or art gallery. If you’re more inclined to take a casual stroll on your own or perhaps already familiar with the more conventionally-located artworks in the city, then a perusal of your city’s European street art could be just the thing.
What is street art?
Street art today takes many forms. The mural which adorns the side of an otherwise drab building, poster art, street sculptures…the list goes on. One of the newest forms of street art is the ‘Lock On’, when installations are created by attaching sculptures to existing items of public furniture using chains or bike locks. Gone are the days when any form of unsanctioned art was simply branded graffiti and whitewashed away. Of course, territorial graffiti, vandalism, mindless vulgarities and insults are a different thing altogether and not something we’d want to see on our river cruise!
Street art is something different however. It can often be a showcase for new talent and a huge, ever-evolving canvas for those who are not fortunate enough to bag themselves a place under the spotlight in one of the city’s galleries. On a more tourist-centric level, I’m sure you’ve seen street vendors painting directly onto the pavement in many a city and perhaps selling more conventionally-canvassed versions of their works. To get you started on some of the best places to visit, here’s a look at some popular European street art examples in five equally popular European river cruise cities.
European street art in Paris
A popular starting and ending point for many river cruises along the Seine, Paris is a great place to sample European street art. Perhaps not surprising considering the city’s artistic pedigree, Paris enjoys a vibrant street art scene. The city’s 1960s Nouveau realists were known to use public spaces, and Daniel Buren’s 1970s subway work is another early example.
The city’s Belleville and Menilmontant neighbourhoods are where the greatest concentration of street art can be found. Certainly off the beaten tourist track, these are perhaps not the best destinations to head to if you’re new to the city but there are free art walking tours available courtesy of Street Art Paris. A number of other walking tours of the city feature popular examples of street art too. As well as works by home-grown talent, there’s a number of works from international artists, such is the city’s reputation for European street art.
European street art in Cologne
Cologne is a Rhine river cruise favourite and also home to one of the world’s oldest contemporary art fairs, Art Cologne, which was first held in 1967. This long-standing empathy with the modern side of art and a vibrant scene means there’s plenty to see in the city when it comes to street art.
CityLeaks is Cologne’s urban art festival, which as well as hosting dedicated exhibitions, offers guided tours of the city’s street art hotspots, every other Sunday throughout 2014. There are some amazing examples of street art to be seen throughout the city and exploring them with the help of the festival and its organisers is a great way to see some of the best examples. Alternatively, you can of course pick a bespoke tour operator and tailor your excursion.
European street art in Amsterdam
With its reputation for being liberal, you’d imagine Amsterdam would be a natural place to find some great examples of European street art and you’d be right. A focal point on many a Dutch and Belgian waterways cruise, the city is home to the Amsterdam Street Art group, who are responsible for promoting the art and put the city on the street art map shared by the likes of Paris and London.
The Flevopark on Amsterdam’s east side is the place where you’ll find the bulk of street art as well as around the NDSM Wharf in the north of the city. ‘Altournative’ offer a walking tour dedicated to exploring the city’s street art, while a number of the city’s many walking tours visit some of the area’s where art’s present. There are also operators offering bespoke tours, who’ll tailor your walk towards all things European street art.
European street art in Vienna
Austria’s capital is a key port on most classic cruises along the Danube and it’s not surprising that such a beautiful and creative city embraces street art the way Vienna does. There are designated legal graffiti walls as well as areas of special street art interest.
A city which really does embrace street art, in 2013 Vienna hosted the celebrated Cash, Cans Candy exhibition, which as well as displaying the works of many Austrian street artists also boasted work from international artists. It could be something as simple as a pair of raised cobblestones turned into dice or a mural of birds taking up the whole side of a house, in Vienna the contrast of artwork is abundant as it is fascinating.
European street art in Porto
With a reputation for urban cool, Portugal’s second-largest city always features on river cruises along the Douro. It’s this reputation which contributes to its burgeoning street art scene, that and Portugal’s proximity to Spain- home of one of the world’s most renowned European street art cities, Barcelona.
Porto’s status as a college town means there’s plenty of young artists taking inspiration from the classic architecture. There’s lots of stencil and two-tone artwork to be found, doubtless thanks to the global appeal of the UK’s own Banksy and though graffiti is illegal here, there’s plenty of tolerance to street art. Head to Rua Miguel Bombarda – home to a number of the city’s art galleries, and you’ll encounter plenty of street art on your travels between them, too.
By Simon Brotherton
Google
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photo credit: cerberusofcologne2008 via photopin cc
photo credit: Axel Schwenke via photopin cc
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photo credit: Wolfgang Wildner via photopin cc
