Discover Norway’s Graffiti Art Scene This Summer

artcourse arthistory banksy dolk dotdotdot english graffiti learnarthistory martinwhatson norwegianart streetart thearttrotter wallpainting Jun 24, 2020

The summer is still here and many of us are making the best out of it in our home locations. Just like many of our readers, The Art Trotter is exploring Norway.

In June I chose top 5 architecture gems that were waiting to be discovered in Norway. This time I would like to invite you to explore the gems that often end up decorating architecture - graffiti and street art.

Let’s first take a quick look at graffiti history, before we meet some of country's biggest street artists, and discover the hottest street art locations in Norway. Let’s go!

Where did it all start?

Graffiti is literally writing or painting on public walls or surfaces. It happens normally without permission, and the street artists want to send a message that reflects our modern society. You probably know of some, like Banksy's work or the Lennon Wall, but do you know where graffiti originated?

Lascaux cave, Frankrike, over 17.000 år gammel. Photo: Public domain.

Thousands of years ago human existence was etched into cave walls, though modern graffiti first appeared in the 1960s in Philadelphia with young Darryl “CornbreadD McCray who signed his nickname all over the city’s walls. Soon afterwards it arrived in New York. However, Mayor John Lindsay quickly claimed that it was not art and spent millions of dollars ‘cleaning’ the city.

“My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love” (1990) av Dmitri Vrubel. © Dmitri Vrubel. Photo credit: Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F088809-0038 / Thurn, Joachim F., Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

In the 80s, the style crossed the pond to Norway and became a part of the young hip-hop environment in Oslo. The problem arose in the late 80s/early 90s when the media started showing interest. The largely peaceful graffiti-youth became increasingly visible to the public and hence more frequently got in trouble with the law. This increased the bad media coverage and the controversy over it being art or vandalism, and whether the artists were criminals.

Graffiti at Blå, Oslo. Photo credit: The Art Trotter

Changing attitudes

In recent years, the attitude towards street art has changed a lot. Norway has started recognising and encouraging street art projects with some cities giving money to them! The street art scene has gained international recognition and has made the country more colourful than ever. Some of our most famous artists include Dolk, Martin Whatson, DotDotDot, Atle Østrem, Pøbel, and many more. Their work can be found in every nook and cranny of Norwegian cities. Take a look at some examples.

Oslo

Oslo boasts a huge variety of street art. On top of the visit-list should be Norway’s first street art destination; Brenneriveien, as well as the multicultural Tøyen and Grünerløkka neighbourhoods, and Oslo’s city centre.

“High Up” av Martin Whatson (i nærheten av “Urban Zebra”) © Martin Whatson. Photo credit: Bene Riobó, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bergen

For many years, Bergen’s attitude towards street art has changed drastically. Rumour has it that at the end of the 90s, Banksy created several pieces on Bergen’s city walls, only for the work to be considered vandalism and cleaned away. Now, street art has become one of the city’s main characteristics and Banksy’s work is worth thousands.

"Spray" av Dolk. © Dolk. Photo credit: Foam, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Stavanger

Stavanger is definitely a highlight! It was one of the first places in Norway to accept the art form. In 2016, the city gave money to the annual NuArt Street Art Festival, a non-profit event that every September invites national and international artists who "operate outside the traditional art establishment" to come together and decorate the city. This year the event is scheduled to take place from the 3rd to 7th of September.

The festival started in 2001 and is now one of the biggest street art festivals in the world. You can attend workshops, movie screenings, art talks and exhibitions, and even watch how the art is made. It engages the public and encourages conversation about what art really is beyond the stigma. There are also Street Art Tours every Saturday throughout the summer.

Does this sound like something up your alley? If so, Norway’s street art scene should definitely be on top of the must-see list this summer! International artists are also featured on the cities’ walls. Hopefully this provided you with a good starting point.

Happy summer and explore away! : )

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