Street art is alive and kickin' in Berlin

(click to enlarge image)

I have just returned from a week in Berlin. The biggest surprise of the trip, for me, was to find out how in debt the city is.

An unbelievable €60 billion!

But for a city of just under 3.5 million people there still seems to be a feeling of optimism. This optimism is certainly reflected in the amount of street art that is going on there. Obviously street canvases are abundant in the form a considerable number of empty and disused buildings from a city in such financial turmoil. Add to this 17-25% unemployment, a community that actively supports squatters rights, and a high level of creativity and you have any graffiti artists nirvana.

I will be posting up some of the shots I took soon. Check www.flickr.com/photos/hamstar/sets

I will also post up info on where the best graf areas are there, and contact details for Matti, a native Berliner who runs a daily 3 hour walk that showcases the predominant street art areas, some famous squats, part of the Berlin wall and a generally alternative Berlin city walk (he's a great guy, and it’s free!).