STREET ART TOUR in BILBAO
Many places we’ve visited in the past are littered with graffiti, and although we enjoy art in every form, we enjoy it when it is respectful to the city, its architecture and the people. Bilbao did have a lot of street art, and some graffiti, but I felt it was done in places that were appropriate without being disrespectful to the community.
There are many walking tours available in Bilbao from self-guided to provided service, and they range from food to architecture to art. A current topic of interest to many these days is murals and street art, naturally we sought that out. Street art can be found all across Bilbao, but the most impressive works are concentrated around the Ibaiondo district. We located an online map to guide us through the neighborhood. This (FREE) tour consisted of 22 of the most significant and officially-commissioned pieces; we found all but one (which we believe might have been torn down as part of a new construction project). We did see additional works and graffiti along the way as well as a few very interesting sculptures.
STREET ART TOUR in BILBAO
Many places we’ve visited in the past are littered with graffiti, and although we enjoy art in every form, we enjoy it when it is respectful to the city, its architecture and the people. Bilbao did have a lot of street art, and some graffiti, but I felt it was done in places that were appropriate without being disrespectful to the community.
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AAT-TIP: AAT-TIP: since most galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, take advantage of this walking tour then!
There are many walking tours available in Bilbao from self-guided to provided service, and they range from food to architecture to art. A current topic of interest to many these days is murals and street art, naturally we sought that out. Street art can be found all across Bilbao, but the most impressive works are concentrated around the Ibaiondo district. We located an online map to guide us through the neighborhood. This (FREE) tour consisted of 22 of the most significant and officially-commissioned pieces; we found all but one (which we believe might have been torn down as part of a new construction project). We did see additional works and graffiti along the way as well as a few very interesting sculptures.
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You can find works by some of the world's most famous street artists in Bilbao, here were a few of our favorites:
As a graphic designer, I enjoyed this piece by Erb Mon, a street artist known for his bright colors and bold geometric shapes. Eskerrik Asko is located on the corner of Aretxaga and San Francisco Streets.
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Aryz, a young street artist from Barcelona, whose work is becoming increasingly well known throughout the world, created this piece entitled El Fin Justificado, located at number 58 Urazurrutia Street which is becoming one of Bilbao's most recognizable pieces of street art.
SUSO33’s figurative shapes were on a wall and the side of a building. The art is well done, very minimal, and makes a great statement about population, politics, and uniformity.
Gripface created an interesting piece. It is a simple hand seemingly pointing to nothing; however, another famous artist, Invader, placed one of his tile form graffiti pieces near the tip of the finger - adding to it in a respectful manner and displayed the interest of working together.
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AAT-TIP: mid-day from 1-3 p.m. is Pintxo hour, with locals heading out to their local pub to have a small bite, drink, and gossip with friends. You want to pop in and have a bite or sip yourself, as many restaurants will then close until 6 p.m.
This finishes our Bilbao street review. I hope you find it as amazing as we did. Please let us, and our followers, know your thoughts and comments!