• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Countries Colombia

Bogotá Street Artists Hailed As Spray-Can Picassos

Street Art Revival In Bogotá

Matt Chilliak by Matt Chilliak
Nov 29, 2016
in Colombia, Travel
0
a large painting of a woman on the side of a building in colombia
212
SHARES
3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The word “graffiti” usually conjures images of Bart Simpson vandalizing the side of the Kwik-E-Mart with his infamous “El Barto” tag.

This non-flattering stereotype is being put to the test in Bogotá, where graffitists are challenging what constitutes acceptable forms of art. They’re using bare walls as their canvasses to transform Bogotá’s urban landscape into one big open-air modern art exhibit.

The international press has taken notice and is praising Bogotá’s spray-can Picassos. The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, Fusion television network, and dozens of travel blogs have heralded Bogotá’s street art as the next trendy thing.

Thanks to the city’s relaxed attitude toward graffiti, artists are able to take their time and produce quality work, rather than having to rush their efforts under cover of night. Communities are embracing the art form, and businesses are commissioning artists to beautify their buildings. Even national cultural organizations and politicians have gone pro-graffiti.

The writing on the wall is clear: Bogotá doesn’t want its artwork confined to galleries.

Renowned local and international artists as well as amateur and up-and-comers are painting this town red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and purple.

One of the best-known local graffiti groups is MAL Crew, an artist collective formed in 2009 (though some of the members have more than 10 years of experience). The artists behind MAL go by the names Fonso, Río, Raíz, Terms 73, Ghore, Sátiro, Somos, and Cuervo 21.

They explain that the collaborative work allows for “many points of view in one concrete image.” And though the group appreciates the attention they’ve lately been getting, fame is not their objective. They’re looking to make change, not a name.

One of their best-known paintings is a mural honoring Colombia‘s journalist, comedian, lawyer, peace activist, and political satirist Jamie Garzón, who played a key role in FARC hostage negotiations in the 1990s. That role earned him some enemies, and, in 1999, he was murdered. Details and testimonies that have surfaced since the murder indicate that politicians and the military were likely involved. Still, the case remains open.

A man painting a mural in Colombia
Members of MAL working on one of the artist collective’s best-known murals

Much of Bogotá’s street artwork has historical themes and underlying political messages. Tribute is paid to the struggles, revolutionaries, and injustices of the lower classes. Street art tends to relate to street life.

The multistory murals are helping to rejuvenate Bogotá’s streets, but, of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and not everybody painting Bogotá’s city walls is a pro. Haphazard tagging by kids simply looking to make their mark has caused pushback from the authorities, with tags being painted over and fines being issued. Regulations exist for what is and isn’t allowed, though they’re not always enforced.

By and large, the devoted artists are distinguishable from the slap-dashers, and the art is permitted accordingly. That is, unless you’re Justin Bieber.

In Bogotá in 2013, Bieber thought he’d cash in on the popularity of the city’s rising street-art scene. Under the protection of his police escort, he hit the streets with a spray can, enraging local graffiti artists struggling in the face of police harassment. Within a day, fresh graffiti from local artists had disappeared Bieber’s painting.

Seeing Bogotá’s graffiti is easy enough on your own, but, if you’d prefer, you can arrange a guided tour. Guided tours are cheap or free, and guides know where to go and where not to go, both for seeing the best artwork and staying in the safest areas.

Not that tourists should be worried about safety. Violent crime in Bogotá is on the decline. The city’s homicide rate is four times lower than it was in 1993 and lower than that of several major U.S. cities.

Bogotá’s red-light district of Santa Fe is still a no-go zone, though. Expect a completely different type of exhibition there. Even your tour guide probably won’t want to stop here, and photos are strictly prohibited.

Photos of the street art, however, are encouraged. No need to worry about appearing inconsiderate of the artist. Public accessibility and enjoyment are the whole point.

Matt Chilliak

Share85Tweet53
Previous Post

Everything Is Brighter In Belize… Even The Supermoon

Next Post

Santa Marta: A Hidden Gem On Colombia’s Caribbean Coast

Matt Chilliak

Matt Chilliak

Matt Chilliak is a political organizer from Saskatoon, Canada, currently based in Massachusetts. He holds an honors degree in political studies with minors in economics and Spanish from the University of Saskatchewan. A former Live and Invest Overseas editor and an active LIOS editor-at-large, Matt explores the investment opportunities that arise from changes in the political and policy landscapes around the world. He also writes about everything and anything Panama.

Related Posts

Porto, Portugal
Argentina

Where (And Why) Should You Buy Property Overseas In 2022?

by Live And Invest Overseas
June 15, 2022
0

Most people think that purchasing real estate overseas is about having a second home to go to when you want...

Read more
An image of Medellin, Colombia to the left and Cuenca, Ecuador to the right

Expat Life In Medellín, Colombia Vs. Cuenca, Ecuador

June 8, 2022
Panama City, Panama to the left and Medellin, Colombia to the right, comparison

Comparing Panama And Colombia: Living, Retiring, Investing

June 3, 2022
Marsaxlokk bay harbour of Malta, with beautiful architecture and boats at dusk

The 7 Best Places To Travel In Summer 2022

May 29, 2022
Exotic wooden huts on the water, Maldives

How To Move Overseas Despite A Pandemic

May 24, 2022
Rocks in the water next to the sandy beach in Ecuador

The Best Places To Retire In Latin America

May 23, 2022
Male dentist treating female patient

The World’s 7 Best Countries For Dental Tourism

May 9, 2022
Next Post
a popular beach with rocks and hills in colombia

Santa Marta: A Hidden Gem On Colombia’s Caribbean Coast

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.







LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2022

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2022?

Discover Them Here…