To appreciate art you can go to a gallery, museum, or... simply go out to the street. Murals are becoming more and more popular in urban space. It is not different in Lublin. Many unusual works have been created in the recent years.

We present 18 of them, which you can see during a few hours walk through the city centre. Wear comfortable shoes, it's a few kilometers to go. It will be worth it! 

* Photos of all presented murals in bigger size can be found in the gallery below the article.
 

1. Let's start with the Old Town. One of the most famous views of Lublin comes from Braun and Hogenberg's work called "Civitates orbis terrarum", published in 1618 in Cologne. The view presents the city during its "golden age", namely at the turn of XVI and XVII century. On the backyard of Jezuicka 1, just by the Cracow Gate, a mural presenting aforementioned view was created in 2015. It was made by Marcin Proczek, Faculty of Arts student at the Maria Curie Skłodowska University.

2. The main theme of the mural at the patio of Grodzka 7 building is... a lace. The painting refers to one of the most important events taking place in Lublin - the Jagiellonian Fair. The mural was created in 2018 by NeSpoon - a renowned Polish artist, whose creation border street art, ceramics, sculpture, and paintings. 

3. The mural realized along Czechówka river, just by the Tarasy Zamkowe shopping mall (Unii Lubelskiej avenue), commemorates the jewish district. It's a black and white collage made of the photographs taken by Stefan Kiełsznia in the 1930's, on Nowa, Lubartowska, and Kowalska streets. We can see old houses with the signboards in Polish and Jidysz, as well as people walking through the streets. The mural was created by the "Grodzka Gate - NN Theatre" Centre.

4. On the wall of the Stefania Sempołowska's Highschool nr 4 at Szkolna 4 street, a geometric abstraction was created during the Open City Festival in 2015. Its autor is Nawer - Architecture and Urban Planning graduate from Kraków. Thanks to its location on a hill, the mural is clearly visible even from Zamkowy square. 

5. On Targowa 5 street there's an intersting mural from 2012 created by The Krasnal team. It presents simplified portraits of grumpy dwarfs and contrasting red writing "Jest super" ("It's cool"). Below there's a writing in English: "Wielki Krasnal was here! And will be back... The mural was created within a project of the Studio of Socially Engaged Art "The Districts". According to the artistic environment, it can be understood as "a comment about the exaggerated and incomprehensible optimism of the Poles in the face of deteriorating state of the country". It draws attention to sweeping the social problems under the rug. The "Jest super" writing also associates with the song by T.Love band.

6. Walking through Lubartowska street we can spot a couple of murals. On the building number 69 there's a painting referring to Lublin cider and Lublin Young Cider Festival. The work was created in 2016 on the initiative of Ambra Company and Lublin City Office. Its authors are Magnifiko group and polish illustrator and graphic designer Karol Banach.

7. Ukrainian creator Aleksiej Kislow is the author of the mural at Lubartowska 55 street. The work's atmosphere can relate to Alice in Wonderland. It shows a cat with a woman's face, sitting under a mushroom tree. In the background there's a city and a starry sky. However, the meaning is much deeper, and the author himself says about it: „In my work I use symbols. Some of them are used more frequently than the others. One of my favourites is a tree, that has different meainings in different cultures. For me a tree is the axis of the world and the foundation of all things. The city that grows around it reflects Eastern Europe. And the see-through cat symbolizes its spiritual development. The bird and the fruit in the upper branches of the tree is the future and further development.” 

8. A little bit further, at Lubartowska 57 street, we can see a man, a dog, and a bone, all bound with a leash. The mural was created in 2014 during the Lublin Graffiti Festival. Its authors are the graduates of the Fine Arts Academy in Łódź, Przemysław Blejzyk „Sainer” i Mateusz Gapski „Bezt”, known as the Etam Cru duo.

9. At the crossroads of Cyrulicza and Furmańska streets, we can find a mural called "Dreams to the stars", realized by the House of Words - the Chamber of Printing, and Krajobrazy Foundation during the "City of Poetry" Festival in 2017. Its author is Oleksiy Chekal.

10. Another work located here is known as the "Fish affection". A painters fantasy about a tench is related to the legend about the name of Lublin. Its author is Rafał Eret.

11. A mural devoted to the city transportation vehicles was created at Peowiaków street by french artists Zoer CSX and Velvet Csx. 

12. The painting "Kto pije i pali ten nie ma robali" ("Who drinks and smokes, has no worms") by Monstfur, at Dolna 3 Maja street, was created thanks to the Studio of Socially Engaged Art "The Districts" 

13. On the neighbouring buildings at Jasna street we can admire two works. One of them (at Jasna 3 street) is related to 2012 edition of Night of Culture. It's a result of cooperation of Polish and Ukrainian members of the group "Interesni kazki”. A box, crystals, an hourglass, a bird, a man... The work is so colourful and unambiguous that we will leave the interpretation to you.

14. The building at the corner of Jasna and Ewangelicka streets was decorated with a transcription of the Polish Song "Gdzie jest ta ulica? Gdzie jest ten dom?” ("Where's this street? Where's this house?") in Jidysz language. It was created in 2011 during the Open City festival. The author is Mariusz Tarkawian.

15. Inspired by the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów colourful painting near the Astoria building, seen from Lipowa street, was created by Cekas and Lump duo.

16. The mural at the outer wall of the gym hall of the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Highschool number V at Lipowa 7 street, was created thanks to the school's students' contest win. It was created by the Magnifiko group from France.

17. At Narutowicza 59 street we can see a painting by Tone, a mural artist from Poznań. The mural relates to the East of Culture – Different Sounds festival and presents a blind fugure listening to the sound of clocks.

18. At Zamojska 47 street there's a mural "Entry of the general Zajaczek to Lublin". It was created on the occassion of the Great Jubilee of 700 years of Lublin. It shows the view on the southern part of the city from the beginning of XIX century. It was inspired by a painting by Philip Dombeck, currently hanging in the office of the Mayor of Lublin.

These are just a few examples of Lublin street art. We encourage the long walks through the city and exploring the rest of it. Keep your eyes wide open - art often awaits in the least expected places.

Art of Streets app available on Google Play may be useful while tracking down the murals of Lublin.