Recently I was in Avignon and couldn't help but notice all the colorful street art on the store security grates when the grates were down. Is there a public art program in Avignon that encourages this or is it all totally random? We have public art programs in Somerville MA, USA for traffic switch boxes but not store grates.
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
Not sure about Avignon or if it's a program...it's most likely random. The very first time I visited Europe years ago, I was surprised by the amount of graffiti. Of course, I expected to see it in London or Paris, but even the smallest of stations in Germany were tagged...that sort of surprised me. Really, it's no big deal and can be pretty cool (although I understand it can be vandalism). Also, a neighborhood shouldn't be judged by the amount of graffiti you see on the buildings or on those overhead storefront security doors. I've stayed in some great neighborhoods that might have looked a bit shady when viewed from Google Street View. There's just a lot of graffiti all over Europe. I don't really notice it much anymore...on my last trip to Madrid, I didn't notice it until I was already home reviewing photos. Cheers!