More About Street Art Laneways in Belgium

Graffiti has always been my interest, and I love having the opportunity to see what local artists are doing in several cities during travels. Graffiti itself is really inspiring and as a media of self expression, though in the other hand it's always become a controversial issue because some consider graffiti as a vandalism since many time created without permission. 

Legal or otherwise, I think when it’s done in the right places like an abandoned alleys or ruins, and with a right permission, then pretty graffiti wont harm anybody.

Related post :
Street Art Hunting in Singapore by +Aggy F  
Street Photography by +Noni khairani  

Gent : Flemish Art City

Gent is one of a student cities in Belgium, many times overshadowed by its neighbor city - the famous Brugge - but still I like Gent somehow because this city has many things to offer, its laid back and full of surprising charms, surrounded by hidden alleys and cobblestone streets, medieval buildings, castles, cathedrals. 

And then in the middle of those traditional old buildings there is something that not common, a small alley named Werregarenstraat ( though the name is straat = street, but trust me it is just an alley ), the walls around this alley is like a canvas for those restless artists.
As graffiti is banned in Belgium, the local council of Gent is decided to minimize the graffiti problem and keep the rest of the city free of spray paint by put it all in one legal spot.  

Definitely worth seeking out as you wander round the city. 

Graffiti Alley in Gent

Graffiti Alley in Gent

Graffiti Alley in Gent

Graffiti Alley in Gent

Antwerp : In Between of Fashion and Art

With a population of half a million people, Antwerp is the second largest city of the Kingdom of Belgium, rich with art and culture. Antwerp is also a capital of fashion, more than 20,000 people work in Belgium’s fashion industry.  If you scrolling through the city, you will notice girls posing in fedoras, fur coats, jeans and white sneakers, and guys have started to grow their hair, you will certainly see beards everywhere.

What about an art? In Antwerp, art is everywhere and in all different sorts and shapes, never far away, come in all different sorts and shapes.
Talking about street art laneways, then Antwerp can be proud too, not as massive as in Gent nor as big as in the capital, but still.

Antwerp also has many comic walls, if you are into comic, then dont forget to search them out when you are in the city, read here more !

The one in Kopstraatje is probably the most easiest to find because it is located exactly in the busy shopping streets, a bit hidden but once you found it what you see is a little concrete graffiti jungles.

The graffiti alley in Kopstraatje same as in Gent in terms of forever changing, so dont be dissapointed if the art displayed on this walk has changed or worn away.

Strolling around graffiti alley in Antwerp

Graffiti alley in Antwerp

Graffiti alley in Antwerp

Brussels : Europe’s Biggest Graffiti Wall 

Street art in Belgium isn’t without its controversy, the fact that spraying graffiti on walls of building that dont belong to them is pure vandalism, however the local governement in Brussels tolerate and even facilitates street art in the special region of the city. Located in the metro station De Wand, not far from the icon city Atomium, there is 4500 square meter area of massive art work created by 30 graffiti artists from Belgium that cost the local government €200.000,-

Graffiti Wall in Brussels

Graffiti Wall in Brussels

Graffiti Wall in Brussels

Graffiti Wall in Brussels

Graffiti Wall in Brussels

Do you like the graffiti art too? 

And in what city you like the most ?

#ceritajalanasik is a weekly travel theme where we share our travel stories based on a certain theme by jalan2liburan, nyonyasepatu dan dewtraveller.
Check our posts every Wednesday!

This week’s theme :  Street Photography