Cans Festival

One who discards street art as being ugly or vandalising will be surprisingly disappointed as London holds the city’s first Can’s Festival, a street party of stencil art. This is a three day celebration of street art, a meeting point for both international artists and the public to be invited (free of charge) in transforming a road tunnel on Leake street in Waterloo into a lavish showcase. The festival commemorates international artists from Argentina to Norway an opportunity to exhibit political and socially charged works with a hue of sarcasms. “It’s traditional for graffiti artists to paint together, but it’s never happened in Britain on this scale” explains Argentinean artist Federico.

Organized by the renowned and controversial stencil artist Banksy (whose last exhibition was held in 2005, London) not only invites himself, but 40 of his favourite artists as well as the public to participate in the tunnel’s make over. Similar to New York’s 11 Spring Street a worldwide Mecca where international artists meet and put up their piece on the walls, Cans Festival aims to encourage everyone and anyone to create their own design.

Eager to see what all the protest was about, I arrived to the site only to be greeted with hundreds of people all waiting in line and like me excited to get a sneak peek at the city’s new “a la mode” art. Predicted to take at least 2 hours to get into the tunnel, I realized how popular and accepting the city was to supporting the celebration street art. The idea is brilliant and as the name Banksy echoed in the crowd amongst Blek Le Rat and other prominent street artists helped emphasize the cities acceptance and positive response; marking a development in the high recognition of street art. Note here, that this would never have taken place ten years ago.

In my attempt to worm my way through the cities most talked about festival of the month, I was surrounded with eager fans waiting to witness Banksy’s piece of arts. Like a mob of Japanese tourist frantically taking pictures of every piece of the derelict walls, I felt like I was waiting for a concert or a long awaited thrilling new discovery to be made, as the excited crowd huddle together, I waited for my turn to enter the anticipated “oasis of beautiful art.”

After a few minutes inside the tunnel, I had already witnessed smashed up cars, an old vintage ice cream truck, a waft of fumes and a random guy playing the piano surrounded with political and comical stencil pieces including a painting of the Pope in the style of an iconic Marylin Monroe. Beautiful art work on the walls, classical-style statues dressed in an army print, cuts out of the Queen and humorous quotes were dotted around the grotto. Towards the end of the tunnel, the public were invited to continue the celebration along with stencil artists, as the paintbrush is handed over to the public; this for me was my favourite part. A beautiful view of artists painting the walls of the tunnels in master pieces, and as the public kneeled over the barriers watching and observing like the artists at work was the cherry on top of the cake.

"Graffiti doesn't always spoil buildings, in fact it's the only way to improve a lot of them” explains Banksy. As I left the tunnel and made my way back to station, I looked back at the busy crowd waiting for their turn to get a glimse of street art, I sensed a change of attitude from the public towards graffiti for it not being ugly or illegal but celebrating a creative, political and social voice in which is transformed and converted through art. Having attracted 28 544 visitors, Banksy hopes of keeping the murals and graffiti to become a permanent part of the festival, “"I've always felt anyone with a paint can should have as much say in how our cities look as architects and ad men” says Bansky, Cans Festival is hopefully just the beginning of many more to come.