The street art and graffiti scene has developed from a minor West Berlin movement in the 70’s to what it is today, the heritage of a unified city. On the walls with their spray paint and stencils, artists freely express their concept of what it means to be a city for the people, not authority.
Many parts of urban Berlin is rife with street art but it is hidden deep within the back streets of Hackescher Markt that I found some of the most exciting works. Here, every wall is a piece of canvas exploding with funky, out-of-this-world illustrations. Artists interact with every piece of material and space, creating art in the most unexpected places. Although street graffiti is not exactly legal in Berlin, it has been given the title of UNESCO’s City of Design. A title that keeps the tourist industry booming which in turn gives great reason for authorities to put away their white paint.
