My friends and I arrived at the Durban Art Gallery with just 10 minutes to spare before closing time.
“What should we see?” we asked the security guard.
“Actually, you can probably see the whole thing in 10 minutes,” he said. “Go!”
Off we went, tearing through the tiny exhibitions, running from room to room. True, it was small — we did see everything in 10 minutes — but the place was fantastic representation of African art.
The juxtaposition of the work left me smiling.
Who needs text when there are adorable animals to fawn over? Bring on the penguins!
Street art always reminds me of all the nights I spent scaling bridges, tagging buildings and scribing on walls with my crew.
No, that’s not true.
Though I’ve never been a graffiti artist, I definitely appreciate art — both lawful and unlawful — and applaud lovely bursts of self-expression. That’s why I was so intrigued by the Graffiti Mundo tours of Buenos Aires, which promote street art in the city.
Unfortunately, running out of both time and money, I didn’t get a chance to actually take one of the tours. So I set out to find some graffiti on my own.
On a side street in San Telmo, I stopped to snap this:
As I walked away, a young guy with spiky hair and a black leather vest yelled, “Chica!” I gave him a little nod and continued walking. “Chica!” he hollered again. I ignored him. Finally, he ran up behind me — “CHICA!” — and blurted out something in rapid gunfire Spanish.
I apologized and said I didn’t speak Spanish.
“You like the graffiti?” he said.
He introduced himself as an artist and said that neighborhood contained some fantastic examples of Buenos Aires street art. “Come with me,” he said. “I’ll show you.”
Trusting him, I went. And I’m so glad I did.
We wandered San Telmo for a couple hours, soaking in the vivid colors and designs.
The streets felt like those Russian nesting dolls, unfolding with one surprise after another.
I think graffiti art offers unique insight into a city — a visiually compelling way to understand its energy, politics and overall vibe.
Having a personal tour with an artist only made the day more beautiful.
We visited the salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia, and discovered it’s the little things that make us happy.
