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Graffiti Art in Buenos Aires

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During a visit to Buenos Aires, it is almost impossible to miss the graffiti.

It is everywhere.  The graffiti ranges from simple spray-painted tags to more elaborate and beautiful works of art covering entire buildings.  I wanted to learn more about the graffiti art in Buenos Aires.  When I found out that two local tour companies Biking Buenos Aires and Graffitimundo had teamed up to offer a graffiti tour on bike, I knew this was the perfect tour for me.

Normally I avoid paid tours or package holiday deals, especially when it seems like something I can just research and do on my own.  I can assure you this specialized tour was well worth the money and my afternoon.  The guides from Graffitimundo know their stuff and have learned from the artists themselves.

Photos of bike against graffiti wall
Our guide Jonny explains the meaning behind the stencil art covering this wall.

What is unique about graffiti art in Buenos Aires?

Graffiti evolved slower in Buenos Aires than other parts of the world such as New York City and London.  In the mid-90s, it was no longer about their own tag but about creating art for the public.  There are two major events in recent Argentine history that have contributed to the political nature of some of the graffiti:  the disappeared ones of the mid-1970s to early 1980s and the financial collapse of 2001.  Politically and economically, things are not so great in Buenos Aires today, and this continues to fuel the content of much of the art.

Is is not considered vandalism.

Whereas in other cities the people were initially afraid of the graffiti movement and thought that it was a sign of civil unrest and potential violence, graffiti was not interpreted this way in Buenos Aires.  It was accepted, embraced by the people. Graffiti artists did not have to run around at night painting their work in secrecy.  They painted during the day and still do.  This allows the time for more detailed and elaborate works.

Photo of collaboration by Jaz and Ever
A collaboration between Jaz and Ever

Graffiti artists are also invited to paint public spaces like the one in the photo below, as well as the exteriors of homes and businesses.  Sometimes the graffiti artists will knock on a door and ask for permission to paint.

Photo of tiger art
Section of a public space artists were requested to paint. Mart painted the tiger, which symbolizes soccer violence.

Collaboration is a critical element.

Another unique aspect of graffiti art in Buenos Aires is the collaboration between graffiti artists.  During the evolution of graffiti art, there was a group of artists called the DSR crew that starting working the streets together and sometimes still collaborate.  Jaz, Ever, Dano, and Mart were part of this group, and these artists are still prolific today.

The concept of collaboration has been taken even further in Buenos Aires.  It is common and acceptable for one artist to come along and add to the work of another artist, incorporating their own artistic vision.  There is a great amount of respect in the artist community.  Renowned graffiti artists from other countries often participate in this collaboration as well.

Photo of collaborative piece with Brazilian graffiti artist
This is a collaboration with Flip, a Brazilian graffiti artist.

Types of Graffiti Art

Although graffiti is still done with aerosol, often actual paint is used.  This of course involves more set up time, but that is a luxury the artists of Buenos Aires have.

Stencil art is another common type of graffiti.  While simple stencils are still frequently used to quickly disperse political messages throughout the city, this art form has evolved as well.  The stencils can be quite elaborate and require a lot of time and artistic skill to prepare and paint.

Photos of stencil art
One of my favorite works. Incredibly detailed.
The artist painted this as a statement about the new trend of buying tiny dogs.
Photo of stencil art
A statement by the artist about all of the annoying little dogs.

Meet the Artist

The most unexpected part of the tour was meeting Jaz, one of the most well-known graffiti artists in Buenos Aires.  The tour passed by the art studio where Jaz and his staff design and create sets for Teatro Colón.  Yep, that’s his day job.  We were able to quickly pop in and take a look around.  We even saw the artist at work doing some touch up painting on the exterior of his studio.

Photos of art studio
Inside the studio
Photo of paint palette.
There were staff members painting on canvas and other mediums.

 

Photo of graffiti artist at work

 

The Stories Behind the Art

 

In addition to seeing many beautiful and intriguing works, I learned the stories behind them.  This was the most enjoyable part of the tour and something I would not have discovered on my own.

This piece is about the slowness of the justice system.
Photo of a art
A statement on “slow justice.”
my favorite story

About 6 months ago, an artist from Peru named Jose Carlos Martinat wanted to create art based on the concept of vandalism.  So he used a chemical which allowed him to remove sections of graffiti by other artists.  Jose had stolen something that was given to the public to enjoy and was making it so that only the elite and wealthy could see it.  The graffiti artist community reacted.  The opening night of his exhibition in Buenos Aires, some of the artists showed up and destroyed their own pieces.  In the photo below, you can see where the woman’s face was taken off the wall.

Photo of "stolen" graffiti art
You can see the “stolen” piece of this work.
Chicks rock!

This is a piece by Pum Pum, a female graffiti artist who goes against the norm and paints girly images.  She is completely accepted into the graffiti community in Buenos Aires.

Photo of painting from female graffiti artist
A chick who paints cutesy images can even find a space in the artist community.
Never Date a Graffiti Artist

The artist created this piece when him and his girlfriend broke up.  He is saying, “Bitch in a mask.”

Photo of artist revenge on ex-girlfriend
The ultimate revenge.

Click here to view the full album of Buenos Aires graffiti art.

You can find more information on the graffiti artists of Buenos Aires here.

Comments

  3. glad to see you re still at it stephanie …… cheers to your efforts ….. have been on road 2 months now with absolutely no computer, watch, phone, ipod etc….. or any tech device completed all scandinavian now in estonia ……. just wanted to drop a line and say hi and again cheers to your blog…… are you going to return home any time soon……. can´t seem to use question mark signs on this hostel computer sorry…… don´t know how you manage a blog while traveling or find the energy…….anyway …… ciao for now

    • Glad you’re still following along from the road. I don’t think I could do the blog without my own laptop. It helps that I’ve been in one city for… wow… almost 2 months now. When I was moving around a lot more, it was a lot to do one post a week and upload photos.

      I hate using keyboards in foreign countries. I can never find the punctuation marks either :-)
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Graffiti Art in Buenos Aires

  6. Ohh, lovely. I remember walking around Buenos Aires back in 1996 and there was not much graffitti and when I saw some, it was beautiful! I had to stop and take pictures (which I still have on print!). Glad to know they are still creating lovely master pieces today.
    David @ MalaysiaAsia recently posted..Sarawak Longhouse Pictures in B&W

  7. So unlike the US — most graffitti isn’t beautiful but destructive. Maybe if we allowed artists a place they wouldn’t be destructive… I always like the buildings that have beautiful pictures on them.
    Karen (Mom)

    • I remember the graffiti in San Telmo when I stayed in that neighborhood in 2009. I definitely need to walk around there again. I’ve also gotten some good tips from Graffitimundo on other good sites to check out. More photos to come :-)
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Graffiti Art in Buenos Aires

  13. Awesome! If you haven’t seen it already, Exit Through the Gift Shop is an awesome documentary (slash fiction) on underground graffiti artists.

    • I was surprised to find that most of the graffiti art on the tour was in my neighborhood. I probably walked a block away from many pieces or perhaps passed at night and didn’t see them. I definitely keep an eye out for more art whenever I’m out walking now.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Graffiti Art in Buenos Aires

  22. Not to swear on your family friendly site and all, but I effing love graffiti. My ex is a fine arts painter and we would check out graffiti a lot.

    And when I was in Brazil, I remember that the most. Street art is free, unencumbered by rules or clients and it’s just pure art, man.

    Really neat how you got the background stories on each piece. :)
    Nomadic Chick recently posted..El Amor and Travel

    • I am definitely more aware of graffiti art now when I walk down the streets. It is something I look forward to seeing more of as I continue my travels. Every city seems to have their own artistic style.

    • I think this past year during my Latin America travels is the first time I have really discovered graffiti. I’ve been to San Francisco, but I didn’t even notice graffiti there!

  25. Adding that to my list of people you don’t want to date including guys in a band, guys at a bar, guys at work…this list is getting long!

  27. I will always love graff-art. It is so phenomenal with its brilliant colors and some of the most amazing political statements have made themselves known through this medium. I can’t wait to wander the streets of BsAs.

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