Cities with the Most Beautiful Graffiti: Art Without Boundaries – Melbourne, Australia
Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, is internationally acclaimed for its vibrant and eclectic street art. A blend of international and local talent creates a distinctive atmosphere within Melbourne. The city’s graffiti culture originated in train stations, swiftly migrated to the city’s iconic laneways, and evolved into a full-fledged movement by the 1980s. Artist Keith Haring is the best known from that era. His most notable piece is the mural outside Collingwood Technical College, created in 1984.
The early 2000s marked the emergence of Melbourne’s street art scene. In 2003, Banksy made a considerable impact on the city’s graffiti scene with his stencil technique. Stencil art soon became commonplace in Melbourne, and many examples can still be found throughout the city’s graffiti-covered alleys. Consequently, Melbourne has earned the title of being the stencil capital of the world.
In 2006, Melbourne designated Hosier Lane as a legal street for graffiti. A graffiti management plan also included approved locations such as Union Lane, Rutledge Lane, and Blender Lane. Hosier Lane remains a favorite hotspot for graffiti enthusiasts, attracting thousands of tourists daily. It’s often referred to as a ‘practice’ alley, where artists are free to paint without constraints, resulting in a multi-layered canvas of street art.
While street art is now considered legal in Melbourne, it must be done in specified areas or with the owner’s permission. Thanks to these rules, the quality and scale of Melbourne’s murals have significantly improved over the past decade. However, “graffiti” outside of these guidelines remains illegal, but it continues to appear throughout the city.
