In Warsaw, as in other cities around Poland, street art is going through a tidal wave of popularity (read more about Warsaw Street Art). In the last few years, new street murals have become a common sight around the city. More restaurants and businesses are turning to street artists to playfully embellish their public spaces, and city authorities have even taken the surprising step of sponsoring some large scale murals around the city.
If you’re a flaneur and you’re into art, then we highly recommend you find your way to some of the street art in Warsaw, but be quick, one of our favourite murals of a castle in the sky, once located on ul. Mińska 12 (Praga Południe) is no more – gone with the building it was painted on!
Let us know which is your favourite. These are our top 9 pieces of street art.
1. David Bowie ➞
The mural commemorates Bowie’s stop-off
2. Sebas Velasco – Eastern Warsaw ➞
Created in 2016 by Spanish artist Sebas Velasco. The mural depicts a nighttime scene at ul. 11 Listopada 22 – the location of cult venue Hydrozagadka, and also a street art haven in its own right.
3. Zły (Bad) ➞
Created by Adam Walas and Anna Koźbiel. This is Henryk Nowak from the book ‘Zły’ (Bad) by Leopold Tyrmand.
4. Brown Bears Mural ➞
Walk through the gateway from ul. Nowy Świat to enter the popular ‘Pawilony’ (Pavilions, full of bars), and again, continue through the second gate ahead. You’ll then see, to your right, Brown Bears sleeping created by Belgian artist ROA in 2009.
5. Chopin Mural ➞
Created in 2010 to mark the XVI International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (The Year of Chopin, marking his birthday in 1810). The piece shows the composer in the company of people, objects and stories connected with his life. Designed by Marcin Urbanek, the piece is a collective effort by many artists.
6. Education System ➞
Created in 2016 by Polish artist Michał ‘Sepe’ Wręga as part of the Street Art Doping Festival. ‘Education System (System Edukacji) mocks the use of ‘war rhetoric’ used by populist politicians and media, using fear as a weapon to drum up support… sound familiar? The mural depicts people watching a Punch and Judy puppet show, glorifying the use of violence.
7. Mechanical Centaur ➞
Created by Italian artist Pixel Pancho in 2012, this piece shows a mechanical centaur killing a mechanical deer.
8. Dziura (Hole) ➞
Created in 2015 by German artist 1010 as part of the Street Art Doping Festival.
9. 1920 ➞
It might not look like it, but on the steps leading up to the Śląsko-Dąbrowski Bridge (from Wybrzeże Gdańskie) this is Marshal Józef Piłsudski on his horse Kasztanek during the ‘Miracle on the Vistula‘. Created in 2010 by Chazme and Sepe.
10. Statue of a Woman ➞
Created by L.A. artists Cyrcle in 2014 during the Street Art Dope Festival, showing a statuesque woman with an orange banner censoring her eyes. One half of the mural is made up using the pointillism technique. The PURO Hotel Warsaw now
