Art is meant to be more than beautiful; it’s inspiring, provocative and controversial. Creative minds are the best candidates to break taboos and push forward social change, and what better place to catch the public’s attention than in the streets?
Since the 1970’s Barcelona has been home to a thriving graffiti and urban art scene, attracting admirers from near and far. You can find it all over the city, but there are a few districts that stand out for their variety and abundance of street art.
In recent years, legal walls have also been established around the city, notably at the Three Chimneys Urban Park and multiple spots in the Poble Nou district (C/Agricultura, Glòries Walls, “Hangar” Wall, C/ Selva de Mar). Find the full list at legal-walls.net/barcelona to discover the city’s ever-changing murals or check out Meetup as many people are offering guided tours to explore the street art in Barcelona.
Where to find Barcelona’s street art?
One of the more popular areas to find street art is the historic city center, especially El Raval. Wandering through the neighborhood, you’re guaranteed to find interesting street art.
On the corner of Parallel Avenue and Nou de la Rambla, Arnau Gallery is Barcelona’s first open-air urban art gallery. Curated by curated by Street Art Barcelona and Difusor, the projects aims to promote contemporary urban art in the city.
Just a short walk from Arnau Gallery, further down Parallel Avenue, is the Parque de las tres Chimeneas. This sprawling concrete park is a favorite among skaters and graffiti artists. The amount of space available also makes this the ideal spot for organizing urban art events. (Read about the urban street art protests in 2021 here.)
Barcelona’s old industrial district has plenty of empty lots and run-down old buildings which artists have made into their own creative playground. This area also has the most legal walls in the city. To find large murals, check out the following areas:
- Carrer de la Selva de Mar and Rambla de Guipuscoa
- Carrer de la Selva de Mar and Carrer del Peru
- Carrer de Pere IV & la Escocesa
- Carrer de Venecuela and Carrer l’Agricultura
- Carrer d’Espronceda above Parc del Centre de Poblenou
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