10 Must-See Murals in Belgrade The Blue Whale, Wooden Sparrows, and Yugo 45
Belgrade is one of the graffiti capitals of Europe. Thanks to street art enthusiasts, street art festivals, and the love of ordinary citizens, the city regularly features small compositions by local artists and murals covering entire walls by European street art stars. We have selected the most interesting works by renowned muralists from around the world that are definitely worth seeing.
Words: Daniil Korzhuev
La Santa de Beograd
One of the most recognizable murals in the city is La Santa de Beograd in Savamala district, created by the French artist Alby Guillaume, known for his ornamental works around the world. The mural appeared in 2008 as part of the BELEF summer festival. The artist extensively studied the history of Belgrade and, as a result, found inspiration in medieval Serbian frescoes, more specifically in the icon of the Virgin Mary «Trojeručica».
• 2008 • Karađorđeva 31 •
The Journey’s End
Israeli artist Dede is known for his monumental wooden animals, which he has left on many buildings in European (and beyond) capitals over the past 10 years. For Belgrade, sparrows were chosen — one of the symbols of the city, and the verses adorning the mural belong to Dede’s regular colleague, poetess Nitzan Mintz.
• 2018 • Fruškogorska 2 •
Imitation of life n°9
The Blue Whale on the wall of the former Mixer House cultural center building is the work of the Swiss art duo Nevercrew — Christian Rebecchi and Pablo Togni. Their murals around the world raise the theme of ecology and, in general, the relationship between humans and nature. Not many people know, but the «Blue Whale» has an official name and even two — «Imitation of life n°9» and «Evolutive Machine n°1».
• 2014 • Karađorđeva 46 •
Sole Mio
One of the two Belgrade works by the renowned Mexican artist Farid Rueda. Farid’s style features an abundance of colors, a plethora of kaleidoscopic multicolored patterns, and numerous cultural references to his native country. By the way, the second mural that Farid created in Belgrade as part of the Runaway street art festival — a girl in a bright eagle mask — is located in New Belgrade at Danila Lekića Španca 21.
• 2019 • Tadeuša Košćuška 88b •
Grad koji je pojeo zelenilo
The Italian artist, known by the pseudonym Blu, leaves large-scale murals on the walls of buildings around the world, through which he critiques contemporary consumer society. The Belgrade mural «Grad koji je pojeo zelenilo» («The City that ate the Greenery») is dedicated to the negative impact of human civilization on nature, with the tree on the canvas being the only colored detail in the overall black-and-white picture.
• 2009 • 6 Pop-Lukina •
The howling
The Spanish artist Julieta XLF is known throughout Europe for her signature cartoonish female characters, which the artist surrounds with leaves, birds, and animals symbolizing nature. The Belgrade mural by Julieta, titled «The Howling,» appeared in 2019 as part of the street art festival Rekonstrukcija.
• 2019 • Knez-Miletina 14 •
Portret Jelisavete Načić
Andrej Josifovski, also known as Pijanista, is known throughout the country for his numerous murals, eco- and political performances, and, last but not least, his Lego ECO figures. This is one of his latest works, executed as part of the Exceptional Women of Serbia project — a portrait of Jelisaveta Načić, one of the country’s first female architects.
• 2023 • Kralja Petra 70 •
Serbian flag
The Argentinian street artist Francisco Bosoletti leaves expressive portraits of real and fictional people framed by colorful geometric shapes on buildings around the world. His Belgrade work, titled «Serbian Flag,» was inspired, according to the artist himself, by the «impression of sleepiness» he experienced during the first few days in Belgrade.
• 2015 • Cara Nikolaja II 68 •
The roots of the Balkans
Artez is one of the leading Serbian street artists, known far beyond Belgrade. In his monumental works, he typically depicts solitary female figures surrounded by cozy decorations of books, flower pots, and gramophones. The piece «The Roots of the Balkans» was created as part of the Converse City Forests initiative — the mural is painted with special Filipino paints that absorb pollutants from the air.
• 2020 • Venizelosova 1 •
