Berliners pioneered the use of graffiti as protest when they started spray-painting the Western side of the Berlin Wall – subverting the most brutal symbol of the Cold War with messages of resistance, compassion and hope. The street art scene then exploded after the Wall fell, as young people, punks and artists reclaimed and re-appropriated empty buildings in the former East. These days the city is famed as much for the art you find on the streets as the art present in its galleries.
This 3-hour walking tour gives you the low-down on Berlin’s Street Art scene – the history, the movers and shakers, and their motivations – and also addresses other contemporary cultural concerns in the city. We stay at the cutting edge, and thus our route changes with the scene.
You will travel to Berlin’s more bohemian districts, and talk about prevalent issues such as different media falling under the label of Street Art, Berlin’s enduring squat culture, gentrification and the influx of refugees.
