City Tours

What would cities be without art in their streets? You can't really say anymore, so inseparable are the works of art from the cityscape. The reverse is also true, which is why we have portrayed the cities of our continent in a series of snapshots. More will follow, we promise!

Snapshot: Los Angeles

Detail Los Angeles Mural by Tristan Eaton | Artist: Tristan Eaton, Photo ©Lord Jim
Los Angeles and street art were made for one another. The second largest city in the United States is a sprawling metropolis that is well known for its cultural diversity and ties to the film industry. From L.A.’s beaches and its Mediterranean climate to the busyness of its distinct neighborhoods and districts that come together like a city planner’s Voltron, the low-rise buildings, abundance of billboards, and generous use of concrete have created a canvas that rivals the history of white cube gallery exhibits. 

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New Murals in Washington, D.C.

© Meaghan Toohey, Photo: Mike Maguire Colorful and highly political — this is how street art in the District’s diverse neighborhoods is setting itself apart today. These new murals are bright, loud, and visualize the current socio-political atmosphere in Washington and the United States as a whole. These works address recent political protests, depicting those whose voices have been silenced for far too long and their struggle for social justice. In this way, the city’s walls grant viewers a glimpse beneath the surface of the U.S.’s polarized capital.

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Snapshot: San Francisco

"Self Consuming Self" by BiP, on Larkin Street between Ellis & Eddy - http://www.bipgraffiti.com/ | © BiP, Photo: Sophoan Sorn Through the years, San Francisco has been a golden gateway for artists, thinkers, and writers. Next to Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, it is one of the top US cities for murals, with over 1,000 works that have turned alleys and building façades into open-air galleries.

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Special: Mexico City

© Daniel Espinoza Cisne The street art scene in Mexico City is thriving! So it’s high time that we took a detailed look at the many different facets of the scene. To give you as diverse an overview as possible, we tried to find examples that address topical issues of the country, interpreted by artists of different origins, styles and backgrounds.

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Snapshot: Las Vegas

© Claus Schmidt / Artist: Ruben Sanchez What do you think of when you hear Las Vegas?  Hunter S. Thompson’s "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", Sin City, Gamblers Paradise? Even though the famous Las Vegas Strip with its glittering casinos and hotels is the biggest employer and economic engine of the city, there is also Las Vegas off the Strip with its independent cultural scene: street art, free theaters, visual arts and much more. If you’ve only visited the strip, you technically have not been in Las Vegas.

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Snapshot: Montreal

© Benny Wilding, Photo: Aim Pé Montreal from spring to autumn, that means festival season: for the past 5 years, solidly embedded between the Experimental Dance and Theater Festival Transamériques and the Montreal International Jazz Festival there is the international street art festival MURAL. Its visibility makes the festival one of the major events of the year - it takes place on the boulevard St-Laurent, the so-called "Main", one of the principle arteries of the city, the demarcation line between its eastern and western part and even without a festival one of the most dynamic streets of the metropolis. The organism MU ("Transformer Montréal en Musée à ciel ouvert" - Montreal becomes an open-air museum) also contributes to the city's diversity of exciting street art. In our Montreal city special, we present some of the works that have been produced over the last few years at the MURAL festival or with the support of MU.

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Special: Washington D.C.

© Wing Chow / Photo: Hans Allner Street art has evolved into an integral part of Washington D.C.'s arts and culture scene. The city is constantly changing and it feels like there is at least one new mural emerging every day.

But how well do we know our city's murals? Find out by joining us on a trip through D.C.'s street art.

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