Street Art Appreciation and Creation

When many people think of Berlin, one of the first things they picture is the Wall, from the west side of course, covered in graffiti. Berlin already had a pre-war reputation as a city for artists, and when East Germany provided West Berlin with one of the worlds largest public canvases, Berlin street artists used the Wall to express their feelings of being walled in and to protest lack of freedom for their fellow Germans on the other side.

Today Berlin continues to have a rich tradition of street art, as our CIEE students learned on a walking tour of street art in Berlin. Our guides showed us some of the more popular artists and explained the styles they are known for. We had seen some of these artists' works around the city already, so it was interesting to learn a bit about the artists themselves. One of the largest murals we saw was part of a mural festival held here in Berlin in May, but most of the others were created sponaneously without compensation- the artists' gifts to the Berlin public. 

After our walking tour, we went back to our guides' workshop for a lesson in spraying with stencils. We learned some techniques for getting cool effects with spray paint and had the opportunity to make our own spraypainted masterpiece on cardboard. 

Some people don't distinguish between street art and graffiti, but they are definitely not the same thing. Street art is more than just tagging a building- it's a way for artists to share a message with the public and add interest to a city, often without compensation.  After our tour and workshop, CIEE students came away with a better understanding of this art form, the people who create it, and the techniques they use.