Legal walls or open walls, [1] are public spaces where graffiti is allowed by any member of the public.
Legal walls started in Scandinavia, [1] and the first legal wall was likely the klotterplanket ("scribble board") in Stockholm which opened in 1968. The wall was repainted white every morning by a civil servant. [2] They are still most common in Scandinavia, [2] as well as Australia [3] where there are over thirty legal walls in Canberra alone. [4] However, legal walls exist around the world. [5] [6]
Legal walls are different from commissioned murals or commercial graffiti as writers and artists are given relative freedom in what they create, [1] although hateful messages are often disallowed. [7] They may be state-designated spaces [8] or privately owned. [2] Privately owned walls may need council permission to exist in some jurisdictions, where graffiti-style art is illegal in public even if done on personal property. [9]
In typical graffiti spaces, going over someone elses writing (or " capping") is an insult, but legal walls are often repainted multiple times a day with no disrespect taken by artists. [10]
Some writers dismiss legal graffiti as "not real" and avoid legal walls. [10] These people may consider a writer who uses legal walls to be a toy (inexperienced or uncultured writer). [10] Some writers believe that legal walls defeats the purpose of graffiti, as a rebellious act [3] to reclaim public space. [1] Writers interested in acquiring graffiti "fame" are often uninterested in legal walls. [3] Despite this, legal walls are used equally by both inexperienced and experienced writers. [3] They can attract "retired" writers who are at a higher risk from doing illegal graffiti. [3]
Cameron McAuliffe says legal walls can help legitimise graffiti as an art form. [3] This was seen on a legal wall in Malmö, where after a group of young people were attacked by neo-nazis, large scale protests were held and a local legal wall was painted with a piece using the words "Kämpa Malmö" ("Keep fighting Malmö") with a rainbow ribbon, and the anti-fascist slogan " No Pasaran". [2] The piece became an attraction, and was restored multiple times. There were calls for the art to be protected by the local council. [2]
There is debate about whether legal walls discourage or encourage illegal graffiti. [2] Paramatta in Australia used to have several legal walls, but after the local council decided on a zero-tolerance policy in related to graffiti in 2009, all but one of the legal walls were demolished. [3] The council said that graffiti had decreased in the area since the legal walls were removed. [11] Other research has shown that legal walls reduce illegal graffiti by giving writers a safer, often visible space for their art. [12] Opponents of legal walls argue that if writers wanted to produce art legally, they would already be using canvases instead of illegal spaces. [12]
Some places are "grey areas", where graffiti is not legal but is generally left up by authorities, often due to popularity with tourists. [2] These include Hosier Lane in Melbourne [13] and Rush Lane (Graffiti Alley) in Toronto. [14] Others walls exist as something between commissioned art and legal walls, and are curated, invitation-only art walls that are in public spaces but not open to anyone to paint on [2] such as the Venice Art Walls.
Fully legal walls include
Legal walls or open walls, [1] are public spaces where graffiti is allowed by any member of the public.
Legal walls started in Scandinavia, [1] and the first legal wall was likely the klotterplanket ("scribble board") in Stockholm which opened in 1968. The wall was repainted white every morning by a civil servant. [2] They are still most common in Scandinavia, [2] as well as Australia [3] where there are over thirty legal walls in Canberra alone. [4] However, legal walls exist around the world. [5] [6]
Legal walls are different from commissioned murals or commercial graffiti as writers and artists are given relative freedom in what they create, [1] although hateful messages are often disallowed. [7] They may be state-designated spaces [8] or privately owned. [2] Privately owned walls may need council permission to exist in some jurisdictions, where graffiti-style art is illegal in public even if done on personal property. [9]
In typical graffiti spaces, going over someone elses writing (or " capping") is an insult, but legal walls are often repainted multiple times a day with no disrespect taken by artists. [10]
Some writers dismiss legal graffiti as "not real" and avoid legal walls. [10] These people may consider a writer who uses legal walls to be a toy (inexperienced or uncultured writer). [10] Some writers believe that legal walls defeats the purpose of graffiti, as a rebellious act [3] to reclaim public space. [1] Writers interested in acquiring graffiti "fame" are often uninterested in legal walls. [3] Despite this, legal walls are used equally by both inexperienced and experienced writers. [3] They can attract "retired" writers who are at a higher risk from doing illegal graffiti. [3]
Cameron McAuliffe says legal walls can help legitimise graffiti as an art form. [3] This was seen on a legal wall in Malmö, where after a group of young people were attacked by neo-nazis, large scale protests were held and a local legal wall was painted with a piece using the words "Kämpa Malmö" ("Keep fighting Malmö") with a rainbow ribbon, and the anti-fascist slogan " No Pasaran". [2] The piece became an attraction, and was restored multiple times. There were calls for the art to be protected by the local council. [2]
There is debate about whether legal walls discourage or encourage illegal graffiti. [2] Paramatta in Australia used to have several legal walls, but after the local council decided on a zero-tolerance policy in related to graffiti in 2009, all but one of the legal walls were demolished. [3] The council said that graffiti had decreased in the area since the legal walls were removed. [11] Other research has shown that legal walls reduce illegal graffiti by giving writers a safer, often visible space for their art. [12] Opponents of legal walls argue that if writers wanted to produce art legally, they would already be using canvases instead of illegal spaces. [12]
Some places are "grey areas", where graffiti is not legal but is generally left up by authorities, often due to popularity with tourists. [2] These include Hosier Lane in Melbourne [13] and Rush Lane (Graffiti Alley) in Toronto. [14] Others walls exist as something between commissioned art and legal walls, and are curated, invitation-only art walls that are in public spaces but not open to anyone to paint on [2] such as the Venice Art Walls.
Fully legal walls include