In more recent years, I’ve become a bonafide street art aficionado. I find myself avidly seeking out artwork when visiting a new place (and in my hometown of Montreal). Hunting for street art is now on par with seeing the mainstream tourist attractions (and I find that oftentimes it’s much more gratifying). While in Belgrade, I was served and then some with a crazy medley of street art!

I was in Belgrade for only two days but I was astounded at how much street art I came across in such a short amount of time. I admit a lot of it is spray-painted (name) tags bordering graffiti – an eyesore some might say. And, for the record, I don’t approve of any type of destruction/damage to private property but I did wonder how Belgradians felt about it. Is it viewed as an acceptable form of artistic expression? A necessary outlet born from years of Soviet oppression? Or is it a constant nuisance? I don’t have the answer. All I can say is that the city seems to embrace this unique art form in certain neighborhoods such as Savamala where street artists were encouraged to use the walls as a blank canvas.

Anyways, with no further ado, here are some (many!) of the fabulous, quirky, thought-provoking, weird and, let’s just say it, ugly street art I saw in Belgrade.

The above painting and below are side by side in a small parking lot. The one below is named “Waiting for the Sun” by Aleksandar Maćašev – genius how he incorporated the window into his painting!

The independent project titled “The Ghost People of Savamala” is a collection of works created by six collaborating artists from Serbia and Croatia. The simplistic works of art are complex in meaning representing the struggles of those living in the oft-neglected neighborhood of Savamala.

A wave of veganism seems to have taken over Belgrade! I spotted a few of these quirky “Friends Not Bacon” graffiti around the city. Some were this cute little pig and others were smiling cows.

Among the meaningless tags, a clear message is sent out: Go Vegan!

Savamala, the cultural hub of Belgrade, is a delightful hodgepodge of artistic murals, amateur graffiti and haphazard tags. Anyone with a penchant for street art should definitely head to Savamala when visiting Belgrade!

Giom Olbi Remed is the brilliant artist behind “La Santa de Belgrade” – an intricate painting depicting the city’s cycle of death and rebirth. Did you know Belgrade was destroyed during various wars and consequently rebuilt 40 times? Crazy! I find the black and white to be sobering allowing the viewer to truly feel the essence of the painting.

At first, I wasn’t sure this was an actual painting or just smudges of paint but when I finally came into focus, I realized it was a seagull! The location under the bridge crossing the Danube River is so fitting, too!

This soulful mural is titled “Let It Out” by Artez, one of the leading street artists to have emerged in Serbia. His awesome work can be seen in many countries including France, Turkey, Egypt, Italy and India. This type of street art is not only visually-appealing but also serves to convey a profoundly meaningful message all of us can relate to.

A display of old school graffiti and name tags found on a steep pedestrian street where ambulant vendors sell knick-knacks and used items.

I wonder if the residents and/or owners of these properties are pissed off at having this aesthetic-defying graffiti on their exterior walls? Or is it simply culturally acceptable? What do you think?

This huge, wonderful mural was created by Meeting of Styles, an international network of eclectic graffiti artists spreading their talent across the globe. The mural is in a school yard – I think every school should have some type of art displayed on their walls! Just imagine how positively stimulated and inspired the kids would be.

That building would be awfully bland and boring without these lovely poetic birds!

I had no idea who this guy was so I had to look him up. I expected him to be some sort of political figure but turns out he was a well-respected Serbian actor named Danilo Bata Stojkovic. His portrait is the work of Boris Bare, a street artist from Zagreb (Croatia).

Read about my visit to Belgrade!

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Are you a street art aficionado? Where’s the best place you’ve been to for street art?

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