Street art has come along way from simply being graffiti, tags and the like. Most cities now boast some form of street art, many having beautiful wall murals. This popular form of artistic expression has become increasingly popular. Furthermore, as a tourist attraction the open air galleries, large public displays and annual street art festivals are bringing in the tourists!
Port Adelaide has been transformed into a giant, outdoor gallery as result of the 2015 and 2017 Wonderwalls Street Art Festivals. Wonderwalls is a 3-day mural festival that has been held in Wollongong and Port Adelaide (Australia) several times over the past few years.
In March 2016, an international group of street artist descended on the seaside town of Napier as part of the “Artist for Oceans Festival.” During the 10 day festival, 29 ‘Sea Walls’ murals were painted on previously blank walls transforming them into stunning, thought-provoking displays that not only beautify Napier, but send an important message.
Our favourite feature of Penang is the street art! Georgetown, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has the majority of the art, but street art can be found throughout many other parts of Penang as well. The street art, which is now a prominent tourist drawcard, is a relatively new addition to this charming historic town. The idea of art to “mark” the UNESCO – Georgetown, was developed in 2009 with a competition which lead to 52 metal caricatures depicting the area’s history. Further to that, in 2012 the government asked a young Penang-based artist to paint some wall murals to brighten up the town… and the rest, as they say, is history. We have spent many an day, roaming the convoluted streets of Georgetown, vigilant to locate the street art. We have not seen it all yet, however the following photos will give you an idea of what is artistically on offer in the streets of Georgetown.
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