When I visited Copenhagen, Denmark a few years ago, my friend and I stumbled upon a neighborhood called Christiania. We were freezing cold and our trip had, up to that point, been uneventful, so we were thrilled to find something interesting to lift our spirits. Christiania, also known as Freetown, is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of about 850 residents. It was founded in 1971 when a group of citizens knocked down the fence to an abandoned military area and set up a new hippie community, completely independent of the Danish government. Since it’s inception, Christiania has been famous for its open cannabis trade (until 2004 when it was outlawed), but today, what really stands out to visitors is the interesting graffiti art that covers nearly every square inch of commune.
Before visiting, I can’t say that I saw much beauty in graffiti, but now I understand. The talented people who do graffiti are truly artists. In Christiania, the graffiti artwork is elaborate, expressive, and fully of imagination. The images, the lettering, and the colors come together and POP! Sometimes it’s humorous, sometimes it’s serious; always it’s art. It brings life to this community, and it absolutely made my day that afternoon in November : )
Hi Rosie, I saw a documentary on Christiana. I told my husband that we were going to go there one day. I'm an old hippie. I too think graffiti is great art. True Artists! I recently went to Rio de Janiero and there is also graffiti every where. What wonderful works of art.
ReplyDeleteHi Rosie,
ReplyDeleteI love the photos. My project was on graffiti and I learned so much. I love how they express themselves.