Political Street Art in Europe

People express themselves in many forms. Some may express the way they are feeling through writing or music, others through dance or movement, and some through art. During my recent two week trip to Europe, the political street art in Dublin, London, and Belfast really caught my eye. With such events as Brexit, the United Kingdom pulling out of the European Union, currently taking place, many have strong feelings about the current political climate. Many citizens are strongly against Brexit because they feel that it will negatively impact their lives. How do they deal with this anger in a way that is peaceful but clear? Art. Some act or write plays and some make amazing pieces of visual art using these creative platforms to express their ideas. Street art is an ever-evolving fixture in many countries that helps to illuminate how people feel about whatever is happening where they live.

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This picture was taken off a literal wall in Belfast separating Catholics and protestants. The purpose of the wall was to initiate peace between the two communities in 1969. People have since drawn all over the wall with colorful graffiti and sharpies and written messages such as “f*** Brexit” or “peace.”

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This was an abandoned alleyway transformed into a walkway filled with old propaganda posters from World War I and subsequent events that happened in Europe. There was a little art shop and the outside was painted rainbow to add more color to the once dark alleyway.

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These two murals were painted in Belfast. They are more historically painted than some of the others. For instance, the one on the right, the horses’ two front legs are up in the air exhibiting victory from a previous war. Both murals are beautifully done with spray paint.

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This stunning picture was taken from a wall dedicated to political issues in Belfast. The wall was covered in paintings and posters referring to not only Belfast’s political issues such as the state of the Irish Republic but also such issues in the world such as climate change and peace.