The Graffiti in Plovdiv you can no longer see! (Part 1)

The Graffiti you can no longer see in Plovdiv! (Part 1)

Plovdiv has always famed itself as a big artistic center in Bulgaria, and in the last decade or so, it has become a big street art hub as well! As much as we love our street art, the undeniable fact is that it is rather ephemeral. It often gets replaced with new paintings, or simply removed during building renovations.

Plovdiv is no stranger to this phenomenon. Over the years we’ve lost quite a few pieces of graffiti in Plovdiv that were dearly loved by the locals and guests of the town alike. Let’s take a look at some of them!

1. Grafonetika

This was one of the first murals painted in Kapana, way back, before it became the artistic neighbourhood of Plovdiv. Its concept was pretty straightforward – six words in nine Balkan languages, showing that we are not that different after all. It was a symbol of unity and brotherly love that we all cherished and loved! Even though the mural is long gone, we believe its message to be eternal – unity through language and the arts.

2. Enjoy the Colors

Not every piece of street art has to be profound, or have a strong social message. Some of them are here just to remind us of the colorful world we live in! This was the case with “Enjoy the Colors”. Painted on one of the locations where street art changes quite dynamically, it was a beautiful blend of abstract nature in an urban environment.

3. Skaptoland 

Located on the side of a currently renovated building, this piece of art was the work of the local artist Dimitar Mehandzhiyski – Stern. The mural dedicated to the local burger bar – Skaptoland was very detailed, yet simple enough for you to grasp its idea almost instantly. When you looked at it more closely, however, you always found something new around the colorful houses.

There was everything there! Burgers drinking beer, humans drinking beer, burgers eating burgers (!) beer spilling from a rooftop… and to the side, Stern’s characteristic purple character was carrying a case of beers! Classic Plovdiv ailyak! houses.

4. The Dream

Another masterclass of graffiti in Plofdiv used to be an art mural by Stern. This was a beloved stop for both the Free Plovdiv Tour and the Plovdiv Graffiti Tour. The dream depicted several iconic houses from Kapana district floating ethereally, as if in a dream.

To all of us, this held a very profound message of hope, preservation, and most importantly – cultural significance. Just like with Grafonetika (which was just across from it, by the way). Although the mural is now long gone, we still carry it in our hearts, and mention it every once in a while on our Graffiti tours.

5. Hope

Now, this is a tough one. This is the mural that appeared on the place of Grafonetika back in 2019. We were really not very happy with Grafonetika going away, but from the distance of time, we can all agree that Hope was a proud descendant! It was something in its abstract patterns, and the juxtaposition between its name, and what it actually depicts, that made it a masterpiece! The artists from Comma Studio painted this weird astronaut whose leg was tied to the ground, a traffic light with a red, orange and yellow light, a zombie unicorn and a distorted snail, all to the background of a utopian futuristic city in black and grey… This one disappeared in 2022, alongside The Dream, and nowadays there are two commercial pieces on their locations, the works of the Bulgarian artists Arsek and Erase. 

Are you curious by now about the graffiti art you can currently see in the town under the hills? If you find yourself in Plovdiv on a Sunday – join the Plovdiv Graffiti Tour! From April to December, at 11 a.m. – we will be waiting for you in front of Plovdiv City hall.

Author: Free Plovdiv Tour Guide – Iliya Iliev

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