Berlin’s Must-See Top 5 Graffiti and Street Art Murals

The origins of Berlin’s street art culture date to 1961, when the Soviet Union constructed the Berlin Wall, dividing East and West Germany. Serving as a powerful symbol of separation, the wall quickly became a canvas for Berliners to voice their opinions and frustrations on various social and political matters. Conversely, many also viewed it as an unsightly structure that demanded a creative response. Throughout the Cold War, the Western side was covered in artwork, while the Eastern side remained bare—since East German residents were prohibited from approaching it. After the wall came down in 1989, the 1990s saw a surge of new paintings on the East side, offering a visual timeline of Europe’s political evolution through contrasting motifs on each segment.

Present-day Berlin features some of the globe’s most impressive street art. Artists and graffiti writers from everywhere use the city’s structures as their canvas, contributing to a dynamic and vibrant urban aesthetic.

Born in 1974, Brazilian twin brothers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo are renowned for their monumental installations and murals portraying whimsical, elongated yellow figures dressed in eccentric outfits. Their distinctive approach took root in their early years in São Paulo, where they began refining their craft at just twelve years old. A significant breakthrough came with their 2005 exhibition at Deitch Projects in New York, which drew widespread acclaim. Since then, Os Gêmeos have showcased work in numerous solo and collective shows across the U.S.—including New York, LA, and San Francisco—as well as throughout Europe, South America, and Asia. They were also featured in the influential “Art in the Streets” exhibition at LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art in 2011 and at the ICA Boston in 2012.

Hailing from Ghent, Belgium, ROA is acclaimed for his expansive murals of local wildlife and birds, rendered exclusively in black, white, and gray using spray paint. His work often explores themes of mortality and decomposition, portraying deceased or decaying creatures that echo the fleeting quality of life—and of street art itself, which naturally erodes over time. The mural on Oranienstrasse was created in 2011 for the exhibition "Transit," commissioned by Skalitzers Contemporary Art.

Gazing over the Kreuzberg neighborhood, The Cosmonaut is a 22x14 meter mural painted in 2007 by Victor Ash, recognized as the world’s largest stencil artwork. Much like the rest of Ash’s output, this piece plays with juxtaposition—placing a subject in an environment where it seems both alien and meaningful. The striking image of a massive, weightless astronaut leaves a memorable impression on viewers, serving as a public gift that supports the artist’s goal of democratizing art. Ash was born in Portugal in 1968, grew up in France, and is now based in Copenhagen.

This mural was part of French artist JR’s "Wrinkles of the City" initiative, finalized in April 2013. JR installed enormous black-and-white portrait photographs across 15 sites in Berlin, focusing on elderly residents to symbolize how both they and the city have endured decades of transformation. Within a year of installation, most of the works had faded or been damaged—only a handful remained clearly visible. This gradual disappearance mirrors the perpetual state of change defining urban environments. JR was born in France in 1983 and divides his time between Paris and New York. He is represented by Galerie Perrotin and has held solo exhibitions globally, including at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati and the Watari Museum in Tokyo. His solo presentation at the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden was on view until June 2014.

Italian muralist Blu created this two-part large-scale piece to spark political discourse around the ideological divide between East and West. Understanding the work requires knowledge of its context: it stands near one of the 12 former border checkpoints between East and West Germany. One section shows a man adjusting his tie, wearing two chained gold watches resembling handcuffs. The other depicts two figures trying to remove each other’s masks, each using their free hand to form the letters 'E' (for East) and 'W' (for West).

Berlin’s Must-See Top 5 Graffiti and Street Art Murals

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