Explore the unexpected realm of Reykjavík, where street art blends with the northern lights. Explore how this frozen city has transformed into a thriving hub of urban art, from hidden alleyways to busy streets.
Reykjavík, known as the world’s northernmost capital, has a prevalent street art scene.
The streets of Reykjavík boast an abundance of impressive street art, ranging from graffiti to extravagant wall-murals, which offer an immersive experience in creativity.
Graffiti, with its ancient roots, found its modern beginnings in Philadelphia and New York during the late 1960s. Local gangs used subway carts to tag district news and territorial symbols.
Yet, like most things, this art form of rebellion emerged in Iceland only after a while, because of its geographical and cultural isolation. In the early 1990s, Icelandic teens worked with the little they could scrape together and developed their own style.
Museums or galleries typically restrict and regulate art in traditional spaces. Street art reverses the dynamic between art and the viewer.
Because beauty is subjective, it’s no surprise that various forms of street art have supporters and critics, fans and foes.
Love it or hate it, graffiti is here to stay. It’s an organic, continuously developing form of art that will forever continue to grace the urban landscape with its presence, no matter how many coats of paint are used to suffocate it.
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