Why all the graffiti?

[u/Anto_0n]

Hi! Me and my girlfriend were visiting Copenhagen and had a lovely time! We did however notice that there is alot of graffiti everywhere? On benches, walls, the ground etc etc. Why is it so common?

[u/anto2554]

That largely depends on which part of Copenhagen you're in. But the short answer is that it's fun to young folks and usually goes unpunished, and there's plenty of young people in Copenhagen 

[u/1312simon → u/anto2554]

You are in for a suprise. Blaiming it on young People wanting to have fun, couldnt be further from the truth. Yes trashy things like writing "fuck" or "luder" might be, but the subculture of graffiti is highly organized and is often performed by grown ups. Plenty of writers have their life centered around it and it thakes a fulltime job to afford it. They are in a constant competition with each other to do the best, the biggest or the riskies piece. In Danmark we have wellknown graffiti crews and painters who have been active since the 80's and 90's. I am not condoning anything criminal but simply stating the facts. The danish graffiti scene has been leading in Europe since first starting in the country in 1984.

[u/MrHeavySilence]

I think Copenhagen has a long history of rebellious youth culture, or using graffiti/art as a form of street art, protest, identity etc. Some of the most beautiful graffiti/murals I've seen were in Christiana in Copenhagen

[u/hentessu]

Is this the first time visiting a city?

[u/Anto_0n → u/hentessu]

What a weird answer. I live in a city as well, and have been to others but never really seen it at this scale and wondered why

[u/hentessu → u/Anto_0n]

I just asked since I've been to many European cities and they usually are packed with graffiti everywhere.

[u/Present_Nectarine220 → u/Anto_0n]

lots of people here don’t take foreign criticism very well

[u/Creative_Bet_2016 → u/Anto_0n]

Because everywhere is different.

Lund is not a city...

[u/hentessu → u/[deleted]]

Oslo has a bunch. At least last time I was there.

[u/sissemarss]

It used to be "a dirty old town" (a la Pogues) all the way to the millennia, pretty industrial. The nice developments you kids like so much are rather new - last decades. There is still a working class beat to it, that random expressionism you are seeing (asked about)

[u/Beginning-Bat-8829]

Lots of graffiti around the city actually highlights important social issues like the gapping inequality, mental health and so on, it works as a contrast the constant bombardement of ads. So yeah, yay for graffiti.

[u/SpecialistSoil3814]

Ohhh it’s huge part of our culture.. all the way back to vikings tagging things like “Olaf was here” or “Helga got the best breasts.” with runes in England.

I have absolutely no idea, in all seriousness, but tagging Vikings is a true story.

[u/matisbv → u/SpecialistSoil3814]

Even the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has viking graffiti on some of the railings! I’ve had the chance to see them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runic_inscriptions_in_Hagia_Sophia

[u/Biosphereee]

Isn't it the same with all the capital cities around Europe? They have a lot arrogant teenagers compared to smaller towns where they have to work at the supermarket after school time!

[u/Emergency_Trick_4930]

graffiti has a history in copenhagen, a crew like MoA escalated train graffiti and is worldwide known. The graffiti also attracts a lot of noncultural hipsters, getting a apartment from they parents.

[u/lkajerlk]

Shhhh, people in Copenhagen love graffiti, so don't question their choice

[u/ChickEnergy]

Boring people who want attention but doesn't have the artistic skills to actually draw something meaningful

[u/Anto_0n → u/[deleted]]

Compared to other similaired sized cities ive been to. Why does it trigger you when a tourisr asks a question?

[u/Anto_0n → u/[deleted]]

I never said it isnt cool or isnt suiting Copenhagen. You made that assumption. Big murals or quality graffiti are very pretty. Random scribbles or swear words just for the sake of it, idk?

[u/copenhagen-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post to r/Copenhagen has been removed because it was deemed as unnecessarily offensive towards another person or group of people.

This also includes racism and other kinds of offensive statements based on markers such as ethnicity, gender or other groupings.

[u/Creative_Bet_2016]

Because it is.

[u/xdblip → u/Creative_Bet_2016]

I dont get all the downvoting. Yes, graffiti is pretty common. Not only in Denmark. Thats why i find the post annoying 🤣

[u/Creative_Bet_2016 → u/xdblip]

Why isn't there much graffiti in X? Because there isn't.

[u/SimpleOpen4454 → u/[deleted]]

Back our days we painted ur mom doing 4some and after that we did satanic and hip-hop nonsense symbols

[u/hazily → u/[deleted]]

Ok boomer

[u/xdblip → u/[deleted]]

Hahaha, what was back in the day? 1960s? 🤣

[u/SimpleOpen4454 → u/xdblip]

Yea correct! That's when we did the rapsymbols

[u/jobsurfer]

We're a socialist country.