When I say Norway, the image that comes into my mind (and maybe yours, too) is one of cleanliness, health and happiness, mixed in with some tall, beautiful blonde people and expensive prices.
It’s also an incredibly beautiful country, filled with fjords, waterfalls, magical myths and cobblestone streets… not a place you would usually associate with street art.
Alternatively when you think of street art, you think of east London, Melbourne, Berlin… not Norway. But on my cruise through Norway this summer, I was surprised to see Stavanger and Bergen littered with street art.
Street art in Norway doesn’t have the same grittiness and quantity of cities like Melbourne – which is quite the sight with entire alleyways covered head to toe with humorous observations, intricate artwork and colourful murals – but it fits in with the style of the country (minimalist, thought-out) and was a whole new way of experiencing one of my favourite city features.
Here are a few of the pieces of street art in Norway I spotted – these are by no means the limits. There are so many other beautiful work around the country that I hope to spot. And while I’m at it, Norway’s arguably most famous street artist is Dolk (‘dagger’ in Norwegian), who has quite a few similarities to England’s very own Banksy. Check him out.
I loved the use of these pillars, and the background lyrics are done by Ben Eine during the Nuart 2012 Street Art Festival in Stavanger. It took me a while to remember which song they’re from – answer: Jack White’s Love Interruption (great song).
This is on Stavanger’s harbourfront, ‘Chant’ by female South African artist, Faith47.
