When shop owners in the Chapinero neighborhood of Bogotá, Colombia got sick and tired of cleaning tags and graffiti off their businesses, they mobilized. Instead of trying to ban street art (street art in Bogotá is legal within reasonable bounds), the shop keepers on Carrera 13 and the local mayor decided to run a contest to find talented street artists who would agree to create work on the closed shutters of the businesses, replacing the ugly defacement with art. Nearly 200 street artists entered the contest and 55 were ultimately chosen and given the go-ahead to work on the shutters, ultimately covering many, many blocks of Carrera 13 (aka Graffitti Street). The project began in 2014 and has turned Carrera 13 into an art-filled graffiti street instead of an eyesore. Here are some of our favorite pieces of Carrera 13 street art.
Carrera 13 street art in Bogotá, Colombia
Artist: Toxicomano
Artist unknown to us
Artist: Ledania
Artist: Crisp
Artist unknown to us
Artist: Surbeat
Artist unknown to us
Artist: Carsal Corrosivo (just the bear)
Artist (left): Atomico
Artist: ARK
Artist unknown to us
Artists unknown to us
Artists: Fonso/MAL crew
Artist unknown to us
Artist unknown to us
Artist unknown to us
Artist unknown to us
Artist unknown to us
Artists unknown to us
Bogotá street art travel tip
Because this street art is only visible when the businesses are closed (the shutters are rolled up and the art is hidden once each business opens), the best time to wander down Carrera 13 is early on a Sunday morning.
Want more about these artists? Check our Bogotá street art 101 post.
Here’s more about travel in Colombia
See all of our Photo Essays
See more Street Art
The street art is so colourful and certainly paints a picture of the place. Nice post!
What a beautiful Picture Art, every picture is awesome. thanks for Artists who has create it.