{"id":4730,"date":"2012-09-10T15:40:11","date_gmt":"2012-09-10T20:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?p=4730"},"modified":"2016-05-06T11:38:31","modified_gmt":"2016-05-06T16:38:31","slug":"the-bogota-graffiti-tour-where-the-streets-have-lots-of-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/09\/the-bogota-graffiti-tour-where-the-streets-have-lots-of-names\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tour: Where the Streets Have Lots of Names"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bogot\u00e1 has been called ‘The Athens of South America’ thanks to the wealth of museums and galleries in the city. But art doesn’t stop at the doors of the gallery; Bogot\u00e1<\/a> is a city that lives and breathes art, as is evidenced by the sheer quantity of street art that decorates the city’s streets.<\/p>\n

Bogot\u00e1’s graffiti has long been something I’ve wanted to learn more about. Why is there so much of it? Who are the artists? What are the meanings behind these murals sprawled over walls? How do they get away with it? Well, last Thursday I had the pleasure of joining a Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tour<\/a> and having all my questions answered by the very knowledgeable guide (and owner of Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tours), Christian Peterson.<\/p>\n

Rather than go ahead and give you the answers to all those questions, I’m going to implore you instead to take the tour yourself. It’s (almost) free, after all (most people donate $20,000 to keep the tours running), and a great way to learn more about this often overlooked aspect of the city. I will divulge, though, that Bogot\u00e1 has very different laws to back in the UK, and that accounts for how much graffiti there is in prime locations. It also means you can observe some truly excellent pieces on a Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tour.<\/p>\n

\"Christian<\/a>
Christian shares his mad knowledge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"'Las<\/a>
‘Las Manos’ in La Candelaria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tours take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 1pm and finish around 3.30pm.<\/p>\n

People wishing to take the tour should sign up on the Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tour website<\/a>, and then meet with the rest of the graffiti-lovers in La Plaza de Los Periodistas, in the center of Bogot\u00e1.<\/p>\n

\"Work<\/a>
Work by Pez, a characteristically happy graffitero<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Outside<\/a>
Outside a hostel in La Candelaria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many companies actually commission work from graffiti artists, as is the case with the piece above. This is on the outside of a hostel, and the mural stops vogue graffiti artists ‘tagging’ the building out of respect for the original street artists. For the hostel owner, this means a much more attractive fa\u00e7<\/em>ade.<\/p>\n

But it’s not just savvy hostel owners protecting their buildings. Some big companies are capitalising on graffiti’s appeal to youth:<\/p>\n

\"Graffiti<\/a>
Graffiti for Drive in La Candelaria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Drive might be a great film, graffiti like this is still accused of having sold out. The commercialisation of graffiti may be somewhat inevitable, but many still fight the changes that come about with the arrival of money onto the scene.<\/p>\n

Much graffiti in Bogot\u00e1 retains an anti-government, anti-capitalist and all-round punk-influenced message:<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A wall in the center of Bogot\u00e1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Perennially<\/a>
Perennially disappointed punk Eddy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even without the political message, it’s still great just to appreciate the imagination behind much of the graffiti here:<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Graffiti is hidden away in many streets of La Candelaria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Some<\/a>
Some of Christian’s (Crisp) own work<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Intricate<\/a>
Intricate street art alongside some huge tags<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Be sure to get in touch with the guys at Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tours for more information on one of the best tours in the city.<\/p>\n

Paul<\/p>\n

Thanks for visiting our\u00a0Colombia Travel Blog<\/a>. If you want to learn more about coming to Colombia please check out our\u00a0Colombia tours<\/a>.
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t forget to\u00a0follow us on Twitter<\/a>, and be sure to\u00a0\u2018Like\u2019 us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bogot\u00e1 has been called ‘The Athens of South America’ thanks to the wealth of museums and galleries in the city. But art doesn’t stop at the doors of the gallery; Bogot\u00e1 is a city that lives and breathes art, as is evidenced by the sheer quantity of street art that decorates the city’s streets. Bogot\u00e1’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[35,115,624,625,626,4,66,97,1519],"tags":[2976,2868,2875,58,2871,2914],"yoast_head":"\nThe Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tour: Where the Streets Have Lots of Names - Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/09\/the-bogota-graffiti-tour-where-the-streets-have-lots-of-names\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Bogot\u00e1 Graffiti Tour: Where the Streets Have Lots of Names\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bogot\u00e1 has been called ‘The Athens of South America’ thanks to the wealth of museums and galleries in the city. 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