Six urban art spots that you shouldn't miss out on

The museum that never closes 

Illegal, semi-legal, legal. In the 1980s, graffiti, tags, stencils and paste-ups were decried as scribbling; today, much of it is considered art. And naturally, this street art is spread all over the city. Are you looking for a work by Harald Naegeli, the famous Zurich sprayer who made a name for himself with his iconic, minimalist graffiti back in the late 70s? Then take a look around Bilk, where Naegeli lived for a long time, or wander around the city center. Or are you interested in the socially critical works of Klaus Klinger, co-founder of the annual Düsseldorf 40 Grad Urban Art Festival? Then take a look at the Kunstbunker on Aachener Straße. Others may find their favorite work on Kiefernstraße in Flingern-Süd, famous for its colorful facades. For those who want even more, we have selected six particularly worthwhile works. Incidentally, some of them are part of a new tour that Klaus Rosskothen, owner of Düsseldorf street art gallery Pretty Portal, is offering from March. On his urban art ride through the city, he reveals which artist is behind which work and explains techniques and motifs.   

Mural Oberbilker Allee 287 by Os Gêmeos   

The twin brothers Otávio and Gustavo Pandolfo from São Paulo are among the best-known mural artists in the world under the name Os Gêmeos - Portuguese for "the twins". As part of the "Mauerwerk - Project for Art in Public Space" initiative, the Brazilians designed a 213 square meter side façade at Oberbilker Allee 287 in June 2018. The colourful mural on the AWO youth counselling building depicts a surrealist scene in which a man cradles a wooden boat with a girl and a dog in his arms. A typical motif of the twins, whose works often seem to spring from dream worlds and at the same time reflect elements of Brazilian folklore and mythology. There are allusions to the consequences of colonialism and the harsh reality of life in the brothers' Brazilian homeland, as well as influences from hip-hop culture. All of this combines to create a visual language that is as surreal as it is poetic.  

B8 Center, Werdener Straße 87, How & Nosm 

Twins for the second time: Born in Spain, identical twin brothers Raoul and Davide Perré lived in Düsseldorf for a long time and picked up a spray can as teenagers. In addition to painted trains, they left behind some of their works of art on Flingeraner Kiefernstraße. The brothers now live in New York and are among the best-known street artists worldwide with their works, which pay homage to the early graffiti scene thanks to their reduced color palette and complex motifs. As part of the 40 Grad Urban Art Festival 2021, How & Nosm visited their old home and created an expressive work on the façade of the B8 Center at Werdener Straße 87. 

Beuys portrait Erkrather Straße 206 by Orticanoodles 

The Italian artist couple Alita and Wally, known as Orticanoodles, are known for their extraordinarily complex and multi-layered stencil technique. In their workshop in Milan's Ortica district, they follow the tradition of Pop Art: portraits of well-known personalities are combined with a gaudy color scheme reduced to primary colors, often supplemented with fragmented quotes from the people depicted. In Düsseldorf, Orticanoodles left behind a painting by Joseph Beuys, flanked by one of his famous bon mots: "If you don't want to think, you're out."  

Mural Suitbertusstraße 151 by Pixelpancho 

Pixelpancho is about robots. "I am driven by a forgotten world hidden under a thick layer of dust and dirt. There are robots there, as a creation of mankind, dented and worn, a symbiosis of the organic and the inorganic, with the rusted iron of their bodies falling apart," says the Italian-born artist, who studied at the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts in Turin and later in Valencia. His motifs and unique style are highly recognizable. In Düsseldorf-Bilk, Pixelpancho resurrected one of his forgotten mechanical journeymen on a façade in Suitbertusstraße.  

Mural at Brunnenstrasse 12 by Fin DAC  

The Irish artist Fin DAC has also left his mark in Düsseldorf. With the help of a striking paint and stencil style, he combines elements of contemporary art with urban art in his works. The autodidact and non-conformist calls his art "Urban Aesthetics" and sees himself influenced by everything from dark graphic novels to the works of Francis Bacon and Aubrey Beardsley. At Brunnenstraße 12, next to the Pretty Portal gallery, he has embellished a wall and the ceiling of a building entrance with one of his portraits of women. It is a picture of an Asian woman whose delicate black and white depiction is contrasted with a large splash of color directly above her eyes.  

Jülich Bridge, 70 different artists 

"Thinking bridges" was the motto of the 40 Grad Urban Art Festival 2019, with which the organizers wanted to set an example against fascism. It was implemented by over 70 locally, regionally and internationally renowned graffiti and urban art artists on a 2000 square meter area in the immediate vicinity of the memorial to the deported Jews at the old freight station. Many of the works have a political background or refer to the history of the site. They include Otto Schade from London and George Koftis from Greece, as well as local greats such as graffiti veteran Oliver Räke aka Magic and the Majo Brothers Marc and Joe Henning. With the help of a QR code, you can access an online audio guide on site that will guide you through the location and provide you with information about the participants. 

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus