Guides & stories
Palermo's Hidden Street Art (and Where to Find It)
Palermo Soho isn't just shops and bars. In its pasajes there are murals that tell the country's political history. Here's how to read them.
Palermo Soho lives off its reputation: design shops, bars open until late and an enormous restaurant scene. But walk a couple of blocks off the avenues and the pasajes appear: Russel, Santa Rosa, Soria. Narrow cobblestone streets that work like an open-air gallery.
Much of that art is political. Buenos Aires has a huge advantage when it comes to street art: owners often lend their walls, so artists can make large pieces without them being painted over within a week. That's why you'll find stencils about the 2001 crisis, portraits, and bright murals celebrating workers and social movements.
That art isn't decoration: it's a way of taking a stand. The walls of Palermo are a kind of diary of a city that refuses to stay quiet. Reading them with someone from the neighborhood changes the walk, especially if you stop halfway for a freshly baked empanada and a drink.
