"The Madrilenian Groove Scene"

My dad has told me a million times not to exaggerate, and I’m really not when I say every single surface in the city of Madrid is covered with graffiti. Memorial statues, stores, public transportation, school bathrooms. You name, they spray paint it.

Some of the graffiti is cool, some vulgar, some just lame. Any pictures of food or nature are always my favorite. Fascist chanting freaks me out. Random words entertain me as I try to decipher.

With one of the most sophisticated city cleaning systems on the planet, Madrid's beautification department tirelessly washes off the public defacement everyday. But the artists are just as dedicated as the cleaners, and without fail, it all reappears overnight.

My culture professor has a knack for explaining my Madrileño mysteries to me, and this graffiti was another example. In class he informed me that the over-prevalent street art is part of a counter-culture movement that arose when the dictator died in the 70s.

Known as “La Movida,” Spaniards joined together to test out all the liberties that come along with democracy. Semi-pornographic films, public displays of affection, drugs, and alternative music are all part of the city’s transition from a heavily censored society to a land with freedom of expression. Granted, it's the movement does not have as strong of a presence today as it did 30 years ago, but its lasting influences are interesting.

This seafood graffiti got me perfectly in the mood for some paella courtesy of Mercedes. Probably my favorite one I have seen, minus the fat man eating churros, which I posted wayyy back in the beginning of this blog.