Neukölln, the area where we live in Berlin, is full of graffiti. Some are wittier than others. Some stay longer than others. Most of them do not classify as “street art” – but they are interesting anyway.
“This house is not in an upmarket condition, and all flats far too expensive” got wiped off within a week. So did “Stop gentrification”, “The bloody rent is too high” and “Mieten Stopp!” (Stop rents). And “No more trolley suitcase”, since it found its way into a big online newspaper, has apparently stirred jealousy…
Apart from personal markers, political slogans are popular. After all, that’s what graffiti are for. These days, many concern rising rents and the gentrification of the area.
“Fight Nazi scum,” “Antifa Area all night long” – C’mon. Everybody knows that a town quarter with 50% migrant population is not the place where Nazis hang out. Admittedly “banality of everyday life” is even more banal.
By contrast, “Do clean up”, “Shut up Job Center”, or “Don’t be well-behaved” – now, there’s a message. We suggest a Sprayers’ Quality Control Self-administration System. Or would that make Neukölln even trendier and add to the gentrification problem?
How come English? No Turkish? – they are too busy and/or too happy to participate?
Turkish is rare, but of course there are a lot of graffiti in German. Presumably, even those kids who speak Turkish here never have to write in Turkish…