MAUD MEIJER
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u r b a n Art and architecture have always had a close connection to each other. There are, however, forms of art, whose existence depend solely on the built environment. An artform that probably wouldn’t have been around were it not for the presence of built and unbuilt structures. Graffiti and street art, whether legal or illegal, have undeniably made a change in the urban fabric of cities around the world. The power of this urban art lies in the fact that it is seen by people of all walks of life, and it is unselective of social, economic, political or cultural background. This opposed to most of the art displayed in museums that are only visited by a select few. Taking that urban art thus has an impact on the environment within which it is placed, and on the spectators: the people who see the artworks, an interesting question to ask is in what way Urban art can influence the urban fabric of the city? And in what way can it play a positive role in urban regeneration?
A R T
Even though different forms of street art have been around since ancient history, modern-day urban art began to become popular in the 60s / 70s. Back then something called ‘tagging’ was most common, where graffiti artists ‘tagged’ inner city walls, trainlines or any flat surface they could find in the city streets with their signature. However, with the emergence of different movements and social activism, street-artists started using street art as a platform to show their ideas to a wider audience. At first the general opinion about street art was negative, as it was associated with gangs and it often was created on buildings without permission. Over the years the opinion of street art has shifted. Urban art has become an established form of art, with artists exposing their work in big museums and selling canvasses for high prices. Examples being Banksy and Keith Haring. Initially, street art was associated with a degradation
