Berlin is one of the most “bombed” cities in the world. (“Bombed” meaning “covered with graffiti”). Almost every corner of Berlin is tagged—no matter if the neighborhood is rich or poor. The wealthy, posh neighborhood of Mitte is plastered with street art from artists like XOOOOX, while poor, immigrant neighborhoods like Kreuzberg are battle grounds for street gangs and also the preferred canvases of famous international graffiti artists like the Italian artist Blu and the French artist JR.

It was amazing to see so much graffiti in Berlin, especially considering that the prevailing stereotype of Germany is that it is a meticulously clean and orderly country. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the graffiti in Berlin, however, because of the rich history of graffiti on the Berlin Wall. The western side of the Berlin Wall was a gigantic slate for Berlin’s creative counterculture to express themselves for nearly three decades. When the wall fell, the graffiti artists sought new canvases to bomb on sides of buildings, subway seats, street signs, doorways, mailboxes, boats, and almost any other surface you can dream up.

Berlin is an ever-evolving city of culture. Streetscapes, architecture, and fashion are constantly changing. It was truly a pleasure to walk outside my DDR-style apartment building each morning to discover a freshly painted piece of art to ponder for the day.

For more information about Berlin’s street art, check out this New York Times video, the following books, or my online photo album.