Street art has become a global cultural phenomenon in the 21st century. What started as a subversive culture in the 1970s/80s New York has now evolved into a contemporary art movement.
While numerous street artists employ this medium to express their political views towards their governments and society, there are many who simply want to beautify the cities or connect with people through their aesthetically-driven work.
Top row: Painting the music by Deih; Bottom row: Australian artist Guido van Helten‘s large murals on the Loftkastalinn’ building are based on images from the screen play of Reykjavik 1961 theatre production, ‘no exit’ by Jean Paul Satre.
Before my trip to Iceland, I was rather ignorant of their art and design scene, and I was most certainly surprised to see a thriving street art scene in Reykjavik.
Like other Scandinavian countries, Iceland is often regarded as one of the ‘best’ places to live in the world. After the bankruptcy in 2008, the country has since made a miraculous financial recovery, and now the country’s economy is growing again. When compare to countries with more social or political or economical issues, I assume that the Icelandic citizens would probably have less to complain about. Well, maybe not.
Graffiti in public space was regarded as a major issue for the City of Reykjavik for years. And after the city council began to crack down on unauthorised graffiti, street artists decided to seek permission to paint on property owners’ walls or to accept commissions from businesses. And from what I saw, most of the art works now are more artistic-driven than political-driven. Yet the artistic values of these works are not to be underestimated, and they undoubtedly bring vibrancy and creativity to the city.
