Barcelona City Council has painted over extensive graffiti walls at Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies in Poble-sec. This effectively ends the site’s long-standing role as a key urban art hub. Overnight, officials covered large sections of the walls with grey paint. Strong police surveillance accompanied this action on Avenida del Paral·lel.
This measure forms part of the Pla Endreça, a municipal strategy launched in 2023. The plan aims to reinforce cleaning services and control uncivil activities, including vandalism. The new civism ordinance allows for fines of up to 600 euros for such infringements. The graffiti community has condemned the move, stating, “This is a serious situation that adds to the list of measures taken by the City Council to hinder spaces and projects that form part of the local cultural fabric.”
International Reputation at Stake
Independent artist Alfa, a member of the Mural Jam collective, believes Barcelona will lose its international standing in the urban art world. “Barcelona has always been known in the community,” Alfa told Metrópoli. “Artists from Europe to the United States came to experience the city’s energy and express themselves, which is not possible in many places.” The Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, located in the Poble-sec district, has long served as a vibrant canvas. It also acted as a meeting point for various urban subcultures.
Municipal sources clarify that the park retains a designated space under the ‘Murs Oberts’ (Open Walls) initiative. This specific wall, measuring 27 metres long and between 2.20 and 3.50 metres high, remains available for painting. However, artists lament its limited size. Alfa recalls, “Tres Xemeneies is a place where many disciplines emerged, from breakdance to graffiti.”
Loss of Key Urban Art Spaces
The closure of Tres Xemeneies marks the end of the last traditional underground culture spot in Barcelona. “It was the last place,” Alfa emphasised. Previously, artists utilised spaces in Sants, but increased prohibitions restricted access. The factory in Sant Adrià de Besòs, another popular location, also closed. Even the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA), known in the ‘staker’ world, now imposes significant restrictions.
This trend leaves artists without institutional mediation or alternative venues. “What really worries us is the management, without dialogue or prior discussion and without guaranteeing us any place where we can express ourselves freely,” Alfa stated. The brand Isokisi, a close collaborator with the urban art movement, described the City Council’s veto as “a step backwards in urban culture.” They added, “We do not think that anything goes when it comes to urban painting, but we do believe in allocating spaces, as happens with other cultural expressions that coexist in the city.”
Community Mobilisation and Future Outlook
In response, the graffiti collective asserts that Barcelona has “marginalised an entire artistic community.” They have launched a petition to reclaim a space they now consider lost. The ultimate goal is to persuade the local government to provide urban artists with dedicated areas for free expression. The community also produced a short film documenting the history of Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies. Alfa hopes it “serves to preserve these places in the future.”
Meanwhile, local residents, who have long complained about insecurity in the park, welcome the City Council’s intervention. They acknowledge that graffiti was not their primary concern but contributed to broader issues. “The square has become a theme park,” neighbours argued, citing paintings on trees, building facades, furniture, and the car park ramp. Residents believe the area’s international reputation for graffiti stemmed from the City Council’s previous inaction. They contend the council has simply applied existing municipal ordinances.
Originally published by Metrópoli Abierta – Urban Life. Read original article.
