Street Art

Street Art is the main movement in art and modern culture today. The most famous graffiti artists are Banksy, Above,Invider, Blek le Rat, they use pseudo names not their real names. Why? They say this is because graffiti is banned in most European countries. They say that they work against society... But as we saw in history of contemporary art that fighting is a way to success. Now the best galleries are making exhibitions of street artists and prices on their work are grow up. So their banned, illegal work is bringing commercial success.

I have decided to check out what I can do in this way and started my reincarnation to the graffiti artist.
I decided to travel to Lithuania, Germany and Denmark. And I made drawings on paper and I wanted hang them on walls in different cities.

I started my way by train to Vilnius. Lithuania is a good place for graffiti and street art I thought. A lot of graffiti art on walls in center of Vilnius. So I can start my experience easily. In Moscow we have a lot of graffiti too, but you can do them only in night time.

The first person I met in Vilnius near central station was a young man, who asked me for money. He was speaking by lithuanian and russian, so I could understand him. Economic situation in Lithuania is so not good. Someone told me that 1000 lit - 400$ is a good salary there.

I asked my friends - can I do graffiti in Vilnius in the day time? No you can't do it here in Vilnius, maybe in Kaunas... In Kaunas (the second biggest city in Lithuania) they have special areas for graffiti.

On next day I asked my friend Rimas for a help in finding abandoned church in the center of Vilnius. It was hard because many churches are under construction. We walked through interesting old yards. After half hour or so we found old abandoned church, that I wanted to paint. I have painted slowly during about 2-3 hours under deadly hot sun.

When my work was ended I bought illegal cigarettes from Belorussia. They cost only 4 lit - 1,3$, in Lithuania the same pack of cigarettes costs 7 lit - 2,5$.
I can't do my street art here but I can talk about art with my friends.
Sometimes that's enough!
At the next night I was walking to the taxi bus stop. The taxi bus was going to the airport. In the airport's cafe I bought the cup of coffee. And I was in Berlin through about a hour.

In Berlin was very hot 40C, buildings, roads, cars, bicycles, people were like fata morgana in the desert.

It's really hard to take the right train if you in Berlin for the first time. They have many zones and directions in Berlin. For example if you need to move in center of city from airport you must choose a, b, c zones on the screen of the ticket machine. Then you should check the ticket in the small red machine. With that time your ticket is valid for 2 hours. It's cost pretty expensive, 2,80 euro for 3 zones during 2 hours... But I never saw conductors in the trains in Berlin.

Every of cities in Germany is unique. Berlin is administrative and commercial center of Germany, but the main feature in Berlin is freedom. Freedom in behavior of people. For example in the train: the young woman has been lying on the seat near me, smiling and talking by phone, black people were drinking wine and smoking. I've never seen such freedom in behavior in public transport in Moscow.

People in Berlin are very friendly. Young women and girls are really beautiful. They communicate with you easily. I saw two schoolgirls 15-16 years they were going home with a big bags from central train station. Fat man about 50 was starting a long conversation with them. They were interested in this situation, girls were making a sexy poses, smiling etc. With my point of view it should be dangerous for girls to talk and flirt with unknown man, but in Berlin this is normal situation.

Where are many old GDR era buildings in Berlin, they reminds me buildings in Moscow, but in Berlin they looks more nice.
Also I saw interesting building - Ministry of Technology with long wall around the building. The wall continued to the wall of old cemetery...

Graffiti is banned in Berlin, you will pay 600-1000 euro for making graffiti. So the night is only the time for graffiti in Berlin.

It's not easy to make graffiti in Europe. You need to know the right time and place and you really gonna do things against society.
I can't understand the phenomenon of Banksy's art. His graffiti in center of london... it's impossible to do such things and not to be on cctv cameras...

I bought the ticket to Puttgarden and was waiting for the ICE train. The central station in Berlin is really impressed me. It has a several levels with shops, restaurants etc.
It's pretty expensive to travel by ICE train but very comfortable, especially in the hot weather. I've been traveling in first class. And I was so tired that was sleepy during the way to Hamburg.

In Hamburg I changed the train. It's very easy to travel by train in Germany, even if you need to change up to 5 trains. The price on tickets depends of class of train, ICE, RE or local train, also how many time it will take.
From Berlin to Puttgarden you can pay 80 euro for the ticket, if you'll travel by ICE train or 30 euro, if you'll be using local trains.

In Puttgarden the weather was fine. Fresh wind was blowed from the sea, it was very nice after heat in Berlin. Then I got the ferry. A lot of people on the ferry were walking, eating, talking, smoking on the lounge and drinking beer. I saw the girl with I-pod, her headphones were on the floor. She was watching in a magazine, people trying carefully avoid her headphones, I said - your headphones! They can be damaged. She smiled and said thank you, thank you. She was like a chine doll.

In Denmark, standing near bus stop, I was remembering how in last year I took a taxi for 20 euro. Sometimes if we think about not nice things in past, it's looks funny now.

In this hot summer the weather in Denmark was really nice - 28C maximum. Fresh air and soft wind at night. In the camping I've got the big tent and slept well.
In the morning I went to gallery and talked with Bo (the owner of gallery) and Lotta (his wife).
In Denmark you can do things easy, even street or graffiti art, Denmark is the first country in Europe there you can make it free in the day time.

When I've been hahging my works on old walls it was seems no one make any attention on them. I tried to hang my drawings so, that could be a part of building. I did some photos of them.

Suddenly I was interviewed by Denmark TV! Pia - producer from Lolland-TV had an idea, that I speak russian at the start of interview, it was funny.
Interview for Lolland TV