Murals – Wrocław’s street art

Introduction

Murals are large-format paintings covering the walls of city buildings. Colourful walls and courtyards
certainly prevent Wrocław's neighbourhoods from being dull or ordinary. Following the city’s mural
trail can be one of the interesting ways of exploring the city when you come to the ISBA 2023
conference. The city guidebooks will tell you all about monuments and tourist sites, but during this
unusual walk you will gain a different perspective on Wrocław. You may find some hidden gems in
seemingly ordinary courtyards and streets.

Nadodrze

Our journey starts in Nadodrze, where we can see street art by artists from Poland, Great Britain and
Italy. Some of the Nadodrze tenement houses have been transformed due to the revitalisation
projects carried out by the city, while others have been decorated by artists and the local community.
Most of the murals in Nadodrze were created by artists invited by Wrocław's BWA (Contemporary
Art Gallery) as part of their Out of Sth project.
The courtyard between Jedności Narodowej and Roosevelta Streets is quite unique – it is actually a
great outdoor art gallery. All we need to do is to cross over to Nadodrze to find ourselves in another
world, full of art. 250-metre-tall paintings surround us on all sides. The walls are covered by ocean
blues, garden greens and blooming flowers, there are various creatures, the coral reef, dinosaurs and
quadrupeds captured in mid-movement. Every image here looks quite alive. The courtyard has been
transformed by local residents working together with artists from Wrocław. It demonstrates how
effectively we can create a sense of local belonging. Walking around the courtyard, we get the feeling
that we are participating in the daily life of the residents from nearby houses, and the pained figures
seem very vivid and realistic. Some are portraits of residents themselves. The murals tell us the story
of their hobbies and passions (also which sports club they cheer for), their favourite pets. There is a
poem and a sculpture of a very special big cat that also lives in Wrocław.
On the other side of the street, there are even more paintings - at 18 Rossevelta Street, we will find
murals related to Polish history, at number 24 - portraits of Polish women who were important
figures in Polish history - from Saint Jadwiga, the Queen of Poland, to the athlete Irena Szewińska.
There are murals inspired by the work of the world's greatest painters and the courtyard walls host
tributes to van Gogh, Munch, Wyspiański, Chagall and Frida Kahlo.
Still in Nadodrze, at 43 Rydgiera Street, there is a heart made of 430 ceramic tiles, created by people
who live or work in Nadodrze: children, young people, adults, NGO activists, artists and others. Each
of the makers has put a piece of their heart and their artistic skills into the project.

Rynek - the City Square

The location between Ruska Street and Św. Antoniego Street hosts an exceptionally colourful
courtyard, the walls of which have been painted by various artists. There is an octopus, a sea turtle
and many other creatures. After dark, the spot at 46a Ruska Street can also be admired in the glow of
neon lights.

The Botanical Garden and its vicinity

We do not always need to travel far to admire mural paintings in Wrocław, some of them will reveal
themselves during our daily commute by tram or while walking along the city's main street -
especially if you happen to be at the intersection of Sienkiewicza and Wyszyńskiego streets. The
mural on the tenement house at number 36 was one of the first to be created in Wrocław. It depicts
Wrocław buildings illuminated by the light of street lamps. The painting also features apple trees,
leaves, a black cat and a bicycle put against the wall.

Wyspa Słodowa

We propose to end our walk in one of Wrocław residents' favourite spots - the island called Wyspa
Słodowa. The entire side wall of one of the tenement houses on the island is covered by a mural
depicting a mysterious lady - a white and black figure dressed in an elaborate dress made of padlocks,

We propose to end our walk in one of Wrocław residents' favourite spots - the island called Wyspa
Słodowa. The entire side wall of one of the tenement houses on the island is covered by a mural
depicting a mysterious lady - a white and black figure dressed in an elaborate dress made of padlocks,

she even swallows one of them. It is the work of an internationally renowned artist called Blu, who
thus decorated the capital of Lower Silesia.
The Concordia Design location - our venue for this year's conference - also features a mural, one
made by the artist Alicja Biała. The painting covers over 500 square metres and focuses on the
importance of a mindful approach to others in today's fast-moving world, the significance of going
slow, in respect of the everyday, enabling contact with nature. The mural includes both real-life
characters and imaginary creatures, all placed within a landscape of four horizontal planes located on
the walls and the ceilings.
When you come to ISBA 2023, you will have the opportunity to see the city's street art with your own
eyes, enhanced by the colours painted by the autumn, adding its own charm to all outdoor art
galleries you visit. Please, feel welcome to join us!

Photographs available at (to be tagged): https://www.wroclaw.pl/extra/murale-wroclaw-mapa