Discover Melbourne’s Bizarre Street Art Scene
Eye-catching street art has, over the last years, become a vital part of urban life in Melbourne. Among Melbourne’s hip cafés, prime galleries and sophisticated designer boutiques, you will most likely, sooner or later, stumble across the spectacular facades. The street art scene has developed to such an extent that a visit to the city will not be complete without including a stroll around the colourful graffiti murals.
From initially being somewhat anarchistic, the street art discipline has, during the last decades, developed into one of Melbourne’s highly respectable main draws. The murals have become a top sight included in the recommendations of most travel guides as a way to experience Melbourne’s cultural identity.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Around the year 2000, there was a noticeable rise in the spontaneous Melbourne Street art performance. The subculture of decorating dull brick surfaces and spray-painting walls around Melbourne CBD took off, and the metropolis got to experience a flourishing street art culture.
Now, Melbourne is a genuine leader in urban art, comparable to other world-class underground centres like New York and Berlin.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Urban art Melbourne | Photo: Travel In Culture
The artistic pieces of mural art are legal here, provided being approved by the property owners. They are now considered a positive contribution to the vibrant city by the City of Melbourne, which has even worked out a Graffiti Management Plan. As part of this, illegal graffiti faces sky-high fines and even prison sentences of up to two years.
The works represent a unique approach to grassroots art, sometimes involving a certain degree of activism.
Photo: Travel In Culture
It is a veritable open-air gallery tucked away in the narrow laneways, the highlight for many visitors coming to Melbourne.
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Either you do a tour of the artistic murals on your own, or you participate in one of the many organised tours – sometimes guided by one of the very mural artists – to get an insider’s view on the genre. In any case, it is the fascinating soul of the city you get a glimpse of.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Photo: Travel In Culture
Photo: Travel In Culture
To plan an itinerary that will allow you to see some of these stunning masterpieces for yourself, you can, for instance, consider including these streets: Guildford Lane, Drewery Lane, Union Lane, Swanston Street, Queen Street, Caledonian Lane, Rutledge Lane, Little Bourke Street, Forum Theatre, Hosier Lane, AC/DC Lane, Duckboard Place, Strachan Lane and Croft Alley. It is unnecessary to say that there are, of course, many more!
Photo: Travel In Culture
Photo: Travel In Culture
The vividly painted facades in the tranquil back alleys are remarkable in style and expression, and thanks to the growing trend, they continue to contribute to the vibrant subculture that Melbourne today is renowned for worldwide.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Photo: Travel In Culture
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‘Melbourne’s Bizarre Street Art Scene’
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Discover Melbourne’s Bizarre Street Art Scene:
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Melbourne art scene – street art
