If you had 6 months to travel the world, and loved street artists and performers, where would you go?
May 21, 2010 12:36 PM Subscribe
I am massively interested in street art and artists. At last, I've retired, and think it's time for a little hedonism; a street-art world tour. There are lion dances in China, snake charmers in Morocco, hip hop acrobats in New York, soccer jugglers in Barcelona...where are some great places to travel to see local street talent? All types of art (music, dance, painting, mural, sculpture, performance and so on) are welcome!
I'm especially looking for local talent - i.e., performers and performances that are culturally local, and are closely associated with that city/country. I remember Covent Garden in London having some jugglers, but nothing exactly "English", and the Edinburgh Festival being more of the same, a little boring. Perhaps you know of other, more exotic festivals or stages that would entice more diverse talent. And aren't there a couple of big ones in Brazil and Canada? Is Burning Man worth it? Ahh the options!
I heard that Mexico City University's sculpture park is worth a visit, and another friend talked of the Ainu people on an island in northern Japan where everyone dresses and eats differently...the choices are so numerous. I've also always wanted to see this guy in Rio... I saw when I previewed this question that this post has a bunch of answers. Would you add any to it? They seem a little stale...perhaps not vibrant enough for my tastes!
I think I'd like to spend about 6 months doing this, so any and every piece of advice you can give would be much appreciated. I guess what I'm after is places I can go where I'm guaranteed a visual feast, places where I can donate to the as-yet underfunded or intentionally off-the-grid art and artists who make the world more beautiful (outside of museums and art houses). And if there are specific dates when things happen, that'd be good, too.
Street art of the world, I love you!
I'm especially looking for local talent - i.e., performers and performances that are culturally local, and are closely associated with that city/country. I remember Covent Garden in London having some jugglers, but nothing exactly "English", and the Edinburgh Festival being more of the same, a little boring. Perhaps you know of other, more exotic festivals or stages that would entice more diverse talent. And aren't there a couple of big ones in Brazil and Canada? Is Burning Man worth it? Ahh the options!
I heard that Mexico City University's sculpture park is worth a visit, and another friend talked of the Ainu people on an island in northern Japan where everyone dresses and eats differently...the choices are so numerous. I've also always wanted to see this guy in Rio... I saw when I previewed this question that this post has a bunch of answers. Would you add any to it? They seem a little stale...perhaps not vibrant enough for my tastes!
I think I'd like to spend about 6 months doing this, so any and every piece of advice you can give would be much appreciated. I guess what I'm after is places I can go where I'm guaranteed a visual feast, places where I can donate to the as-yet underfunded or intentionally off-the-grid art and artists who make the world more beautiful (outside of museums and art houses). And if there are specific dates when things happen, that'd be good, too.
Street art of the world, I love you!
There is some absolutely beautiful wooden sculpture art available in the cities of West Africa. In Conakry, artists are abundant, but some of the bigger operations are quite impressive to visit and mull around. I would check out Dakar and Abidjan for an upcoming trip (wait until Guinea calms down a little bit), but the wooden sculptures I brought back from my trip over there always spark a conversation, and are incredible souvenirs from an incredible journey.
posted by eenagy at 1:42 PM on May 21, 2010
posted by eenagy at 1:42 PM on May 21, 2010
The Guča trumpet festival in Serbia every August is ostensibly a Balkan brass band competition, but really it's a week of manic folk hedonism where hundreds of thousands of people gather to dance in the streets to the sound of dozens and dozens of roving brass bands, all playing at once. About 95% of the food venues specialize in spit-roasted pig, and strangers pass around 2-liter Coke bottles filled with homemade rakia. You'll also see just the right amount of people wearing T-shirts with pictures of Slobodan Milošević or other war criminals to feel horribly uneasy when you pass through Sarajevo on your way home.
posted by acidic at 1:44 PM on May 21, 2010
posted by acidic at 1:44 PM on May 21, 2010
Oh, and before I forget, definitely plan to hit New Orleans around Mardi Gras to experience the pick-up marching jazz bands roaming the streets of the French Quarter.
posted by LN at 1:46 PM on May 21, 2010
posted by LN at 1:46 PM on May 21, 2010
I'm a New Yorker, who believes the city is the best in the world for street performance. Of course, I'm no expert (I haven't traveled much), but you just can't match the enormity of the number of players who come here from all over the world. And, in a way, local talent is world talent - diversity is New York's edge.
And Acidic, that looks amazing. Reminds me of a film - black cat white cat? Seems to me that that's exactly what ingridbroad is looking for. :)
posted by omnigut at 3:28 PM on May 21, 2010
And Acidic, that looks amazing. Reminds me of a film - black cat white cat? Seems to me that that's exactly what ingridbroad is looking for. :)
posted by omnigut at 3:28 PM on May 21, 2010
New Orleans has great street musicians in the French Quarter all year round, not just at Mardi Gras. Best buskers of anywhere I've ever been, narrowly edging out New York (sorry, Big Apple).
posted by Quietgal at 5:00 PM on May 21, 2010
posted by Quietgal at 5:00 PM on May 21, 2010
Zip code man in Boulder
posted by 2legit2quit at 6:07 PM on May 21, 2010
posted by 2legit2quit at 6:07 PM on May 21, 2010
Funny - I met Seladon a couple of weeks ago. If you decide to go to Rio, bring him a tile or two - he changes the tiles in the staircase all the time. There are a couple of other public art projects in Rio's favelas that you could check out - this and this.
Paris also has fantastic buskers. I know that's not very specific, but there you go. If you were in NY, we have the Dance Parade happening tomorrow...
posted by caligari1 at 8:18 PM on May 21, 2010
Paris also has fantastic buskers. I know that's not very specific, but there you go. If you were in NY, we have the Dance Parade happening tomorrow...
posted by caligari1 at 8:18 PM on May 21, 2010
You can't walk 10 feet in Galway without tripping over a busker. (Luckily, Galway has a very deep and rich music tradition and they tend to be quite good.)
The London Underground has designated busking spots, for which performers have to audition. They accept a really wide range of styles and people, and the result is excellent busking although this may be a little processed for you.
Providence has like a zillion art festivals, including the one with the fire sculptures on the river which is cool. That might be more along the lines of what you're thinking about.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:57 PM on May 21, 2010
The London Underground has designated busking spots, for which performers have to audition. They accept a really wide range of styles and people, and the result is excellent busking although this may be a little processed for you.
Providence has like a zillion art festivals, including the one with the fire sculptures on the river which is cool. That might be more along the lines of what you're thinking about.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:57 PM on May 21, 2010
The MTA's "Arts for Transit" website catalogues both the performers and the various art installations in New York's subway and railway network. You could do a fantastic week in NYC treating the subway stations as both a gallery tour and a live performance festival. If you do, make sure you go to the 8th ave/ 14th st station and check out the little brass guys.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 8:10 AM on May 24, 2010
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 8:10 AM on May 24, 2010
There is a fantastic gypsy band usually under blackfriar's bridge in London. I've found the Covent Garden performers pretty generic and un-entertaining. In London I much prefer the buskers on the South Bank and Hungerford bridge.
I'd check out Dublin as well as Galway, loads of great street musicians.
I found Krakow has distinctly Polish street musicians. Near the Barbikan and in the main square.
posted by patrad at 11:11 PM on July 1, 2010
I'd check out Dublin as well as Galway, loads of great street musicians.
I found Krakow has distinctly Polish street musicians. Near the Barbikan and in the main square.
posted by patrad at 11:11 PM on July 1, 2010
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posted by LN at 1:11 PM on May 21, 2010