The New York Times recommends Malaga as one of the 52 unmissable destinations for 2016. The reason is quite simply the cultural boom of the city of Malaga, which the US newspaper attributes to museums such as the Picasso Museum, the Pompidou Centre, the Russian Museum and the Carmen Thyssen Museum. But Malaga's culture doesn’t reside solely in its museums. The city's cultural boom is also apparent out on the street. Indeed, several streets in the capital have already become real galleries of contemporary street art.
Street art in Malaga has gone from being about activism, protesting and rebelling to being a movement that is backed and supported by public institutions of culture. This way, many urban settings have acquired a new identity that's full of individuality and unique personality. The result: an artistic and cultural legacy.
The district of Ensanche del Muelle Heredia captures this spirit most of all. Ensanche - which has been known as Soho, the arts district, for several years - is located very close to the Port and the city’s historic centre. It also contains the Centre for Contemporary Art (CAC Malaga), which is where the MAUS initiative originated from. This project is defined as a unique creation experience, whereby the streets transform into a canvas for a number of artists from all over the world. Obey, Boamistura and Roa o D*Face, also known as Dean Stockton, are some of the most famous street artists in the world to have been to this annual gathering, which incorporates other areas of street culture such as skateboarding, music, theatre and photography.
A stroll through Malaga’s Soho is an experience for all the senses. In its streets and its buildings, you will find the work of local, national and international artists such as Dadi Dreucol, Manuel Leon,Pejac, Faith47 and Andi Rivas. This has all helped Malaga become part of the Google Art Project - the browser’s virtual gallery.
Lacking any recognised/recognisable signature, we come across other examples of street art in Malaga along the course of the River Guadalmedina (where the Town Hall has gathered local artists): Bulevar Adolfo Suárez, which is the result of the underground routing high speed train tracks, and is nicknamed Bulevart. Then there's the district of Lagunillas, which is very close to the central Plaza de la Merced. Here, an association in the area is looking to regenerate rundown areas and a number of brownfield sites, adding a touch of colour, creativity and always plenty of art to walls that are becoming covered with local scenes and personalities.
