Graffiti and Fine Art

I've been told by Salamancans that locals have little respect for public property.  That means lots of graffiti, trash, (that magically disappears by morning by the obsessive cleaning crews) and art.  Salamanca is filled with art.  The Barrio del Oeste is a neighborhood that doubles as an urban gallery, the city having invited young artists to paint walls, doors, and entire buildings, as well as cover trees and bicycles in a rainbow of yarn.  I expected a neighborhood covered in such vibrant culture and creativity to be filled with tourists, but I seemed to be the only camera-toting foreigner there.  I’m lucky to be studying in Salamanca early on in this youthful culture boom, getting a privileged and intimate view of the culture and art before it’s saturated with throngs of camera-toting foreigners like me.

Art exists inside buildings too.  One of Salamanca’s museums showcases Salamancan art starting from prehistory to present day.  I was again captivated by the contemporary pieces of Salamancan artists.  I had known I would be seeing gorgeous Roman, medieval and baroque architecture, but I had no idea about the captivating contemporary art scene.  So instead of a typical first post filled with the wonders of old architecture, I thought I’d focus on the amazing art happening right now (the beautiful old architecture will come later).