Street art is now present in almost every city, town and village in the world, from Aachen to Zwolle. Its true audience is measured in the billions.
And given that the first record of homo sapiens painting on walls is thought to date back around 40,000 years, it’s surprising that street art has taken so long to flourish.
Today, the proliferation of legal walls and organised festivals around the world makes it possible to encounter thought-provoking, transformative art in the most unexpected of places
Here's our visual guide to discover these incredible artworks hidden in plain sight around the world.
The fourth most populous city in the Americas, Buenos Aires shares a very active contemporary street art scene with its table-topping cousins.
Buenos Aires
Artist: Telmo Miel. Location: Agustín R. Caffarena 110
Artist: David de la Mano. Location: Carlos Calvo 816
Although street art can be found throughout the city, an exploratory wander will be most rewarding in the Colonia Condesa, Colonia Doctore and Colonia Roma Norte districts.
mexico city
Artist: D*Face. Location: Rear, Av Cuauhtémoc 273, Roma Norte
Artist: Guido van Helten. Location: Estación 6 Deportivo, San Andres de la Cañada, Ecatepec
The must-see street art hotspots in the city include Beco do Batman
(Batman’s Alley) and the streets surrounding the Centro Cultural Rio Verde on Rua Belmiro Braga.
São Paulo
Artist: Herakut. Location: Avenida Prestes Maia 316, Centro
Artist: Invader (123: SP_45). Location: Avenida 9 de Julho 1135
There are even more artworks hidden in plain sight around the world.