While many cities try to subvert street art, the Nuart Festival in Stavanger, Norway is doing just the opposite. With artists and enthusiasts gathering from around the world, the month long festival operates to promote street and urban culture.
The west coast Scandinavian city of Stavanger has hosted the annual festival since it was established in 2001. During the first week of September, the city invites an international team of contemporary street artists to use Stavanger as their canvass, creating one of Europe’s most unique and vibrant public art events.
This year’s invited guests include Dan Witz, David Choe, DVS-1, Vhils, Lucy McLauchlan, Phelgm, Hyuro, and many other talented local and international artists.
The festival is a celebration of street, graffiti and urban cultures, with an emphasis on educating the public on the importance of contemporary art, design, and creativity. The residents of Stavanger welcome the tourism while the police are seen wearing smiles rather than riot gear. Everyone seems to be pleased with the art inked on the walls of the city.
Pro-graffiti festivals and smiling cops are a few more reasons why
I want to live in Europe.
The Nuart Festival runs from October 1 – November 1.
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