Art or Vandalism?

I’m still not sure if I would consider the graffiti I saw in Germany as art or vandalism. Since my tour of the street art in Berlin, I’ve seen random tagging all throughout Germany, Belgium, and France. Some of it is just a name or word sprayed on a building or wall. This is usually not very artistic or eye- catching. I’m thinking this would be considered straight out vandalism.

Then, there is graffiti that looks more thought out and is more detailed. It has colors, shading, and design. I think this is when it approaches art. The tour through Berlin’s street art scene mostly focused on the latter type of graffiti. It was led by two twenty-something hipsters who I suspect are heavily involved in the Berlin street art scene. The one guide referred to it as the “hip-hop culture” and mentioned popular hot spots that she and other hip-hop folk go to hang out—a pancake house, an abandoned lot, an empty industrial building, etc. 

Some of the graffiti we saw was with spray paint. This is usually done by a group who want their name to be recognized. Their goal is to spread their tag throughout the city. This type of graffiti is illegal and comes with a heavy fine if caught.

Another type of graffiti that we saw is called “paste-ups,” which is printed out graphic art that is pasted onto a wall. It is usually made of several sheets of paper all pasted together. These paste-ups are often shocking, humorous, or are poking fun of pop-culture. The guides explained that while this form of street art is still illegal, it is much easier to get away with.

The most exciting part of our tour was visiting an alley of shops where the street artists were permitted—encouraged—to create their art. The works here were far more elaborate because they didn’t have to be done with the time constraints inherent with not wanting to get caught.

Graffiti on the Berlin Wall