Painting the streets By Rebecca McCandless
Discover the depth behind Valencian street art that inspires the city
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Street art featuring La Nena Wapa Wapa and David de Limón.
Photo by Rebecca McCandless
n walks through the streets of Valencia, travelers unfamiliar with the area might discover an interesting, even welcoming, contemporary surprise: street art. Layered over walls centuries-old are murals painted in every color imaginable—bright amber, cerulean, magenta. Myriad geometric shapes depict creatures from Aztec myths, 50’s-esque pinup girls with sly smiles, and even ninjas who peek out from behind corners. It is difficult to imagine Valencia without the vibrancy of these modern additions, but in
“I want to say with all my work that paint can be positive.” — David de Limón
36 Nomadic Noles // Summer 2019
the not too distant past, these walls were in a state of total disrepair. While leading Florida State University students through the neighborhood of El Carmen, tour guide Catalina Benito Mulet explains the positive impact street art has had on the city since the flood of 1957. She is referring to a torrential rainfall that led to an overflow of the Turia River. The overflow discharged more than 70 trillion gallons of water into the region, devastating countless homes and landmarks. Years later, Valencia still feels the effects of the flood; many buildings remain abandoned in the area. Calle de Moret, better known as La Calle de los Colores, or the Street of Colors, is a stop along the tour. According to Mulet, the street had once been one of the most neglected in Valencia—housing loiterers and sex workers and also the studio of photographer Alfonso Calza. Reportedly tired of the dirt and odor of urine, Calza began an urban art project to revitalize the street. His unique initiative invited artists to interpret his photographs and translate them onto the street’s walls. Thanks to Calza, Calle de Moret was revitalized by art and came to be known as La Calle De los Colores. The most famous of the paintings features a kiss between two people in the London Bridge Station. Couples across the world travel to this painting to snap a selfie of themselves
