I have always been fascinated by the country that took its name from “El Libertador” (The Liberator) Simón Bolívar, who freed it from Spanish domination. This is Bolivia. It is the land of paradise, with such impressive features as the Salar de Uyuni, Lake Titicaca, the Rainforest, and North Yungas Road. However, it is also a suffering land, with a revolutionary past that keeps the locals still fighting for rights. I wanted to come here to understand the meaning of the word “Resistance”—a term that essentially describes Bolivia.
The traditions of Bolivians descend from the pre-Columbian culture of the Aymara. The histories of these indigenous people are still strongly felt. One example includes the pagan rituals of the Oruro Carnival where the locals chew coca leaves and dance the “Diablada,” an archaic dance declared an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO.
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Traditions of the past combine with current society to influence the modern expressions of Street Art, graffiti, and tags. They are used as free creative expressions of protest, particularly during social revolts.
Several murals here represent the “Campesino,” a rural community that fought against the privatization of commons. Other artworks represent native and indigenous traditions blended with modern society.
The urban cultures and native traditions of South America have spread widely all over the world. We just have to think of Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, among others, from which some very famous artists have come.
Bolivia is generally undervalued, but it has a very strong artistic network made up of collectives and artistic organizations. These are primarily found in the cities of Cochabamba, Sucre, Santa Cruz, and La Paz. It is La Paz that I focused on during my recent trip.
Also called “Ciudad del cielo” (City of the sky), La Paz is one of the world’s highest cities. It reaches 3800 m above sea level. La Paz is built in the style of a particular urban structure, characterized by numerous roads having strong descents and climbs that award the city a certain distinctive charm.
The numerous displays of artistic murals, graffiti, and urban installations can be found all around La Paz. A few of the best locations include the following:
El Cementerio:
The entrance to El Cementerio is surreal. On the big walls near the niches, many mondial street artists have painted giant murals representing the Bolivian Death’s vision. As a tradition, the skulls protect and advise the living (in the Andean culture actually, death is complementary to life). It is from here that the idea of urban redevelopment in the cemetery began.
Every November, in La Paz’s cemetery, there is a street art festival called “Ñatinta” (last held in November 2019). The festival features a blend of art and muralism that celebrates death with flowers, food, and drinks. Ñatinta Festival is an event that connects traditional burials to the works of the artists who want to express their closeness to the culture with graffiti.
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Chualluma:
”El Barrio Pintado” (the painted neighborhood), as it is called by citizens, is visible from the lower region of the city. This neighborhood is made up of a colorful complex with macro-murals. It reflects the soul, the culture, and the identity of La Paz and its people.
The houses boast facades that express artwork in shades of light blue, pink, yellow, red, and various geometric shapes. The project’s title is “Mi Casa Mi Hogar” and it is aimed at the improvement of the neighborhood, thanks to 2018’s Government Productive Social Fund.
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City Centre:
The most popular tourist area in the city is City Centre, where you’ll surely want to stay during your visit because there are many accommodations. It can be easily reached by Teleférico.
Walking around the “Mercado de las Brujas” or “The Witches Market” you can see many urban art pieces. Among the most popular subjects painted here is the “Cholita.” This is the paceña woman (from La Paz) of the Aymara culture. She is one element of the indigenous cultures still present in Bolivia. Humiliated by the upper and middle class for a long time, she is now the symbol of this amazing country.
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In this traditional market, you will also come across many street artists who sell strange and fascinating works. The raw materials used in the works represent rituals practiced to invoke the spirits that populate the Aymara world (for example, unborn and embalmed llamas used to wish for prosperity and luck).
You can find many impressive examples of graffiti around areas like Tarija, a small street with steps where there are many murals. Some of these amazing works are dedicated to different world cultures.
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Sopocachi:
One of the richest (and busiest) neighborhoods of La Paz is Sopocachi. There are many art and music students in this area of La Paz and they enjoy the fabulous nightlife in the many clubs, bars, bistros, and extravagant shops found in this bohemian cultural center. This area is known for some really cool murals and street art slogans.
The area between Sopocachi and San Pedro is a mix of skyscrapers and perfectly mixed colors.
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I’ve been in La Paz for a week and have not been bored at all. If you have a few days available, you will want to take some time to discover the city’s street art scene. To see everything the city has to offer, I suggest you follow the itinerary that I’ve created during my stay here. It will allow you to see all the best places and allow you to find the most impressive “paceño’s urban art” as you explore La Paz on your own.
(itinerario) Other sights around Street Art La Paz:
The first sight on the list is El Cementerio because it is the most particular place to visit. It will truly leave you breathless, so take your time to get a good look at it (plan to spend at least a couple of hours). You can reach El Cementerio using the Teleférico “red line” to Cementerio’s station, which stops in front of the entrance.
Here you can find murals made by famous artists (Bolivians and not) including Puriskiri, Oveja213, Rococo, Osek1, Boos.xc, Llukutter, Millo, Jotape, Alme, Samir, Pez Dani, KSR Crew, Theic Licuado, and many more.
Once you have seen everything at the cemetery, my suggestion is to continue your tour towards Challuma where, unfortunately, there is not a Teleférico’s stop yet.
You can reach the colorful area of Chualluma by foot if you don’t mind taking so many steps or simply taking a taxi to the big vibrant murals.
Before I ventured out to Chualluma, I inquired about the neighborhood, how to reach it, and whether to make time to visit it or not. I asked for advice from the receptionists at the hostel where I stayed. I talked to the locals, who told me that it’s not a safe place in La Paz because it is not very touristy.
I decided to go anyway by myself, and I can say that it is a quiet neighborhood like many others in La Paz. It is a little bit off the beaten path as the locals warned, but although I was the only foreigner around, I was not too afraid. Despite it all, I tried to see everything that I was interested in, and I avoided attracting too much attention to myself.
If you are not comfortable to visit Chualluma, you can skip it and go ahead to the city center by taxi or Teleférico towards Armentia. You will need to walk almost 900mt to Plaza San Francisco where you can visit the downtown area and the Witches Market.
Among the various little streets along the way that are full of graffiti, don’t forget to visit Tarija Street.
Next, head towards the station “Edificio Correos,” also called Utjawi. Take the Teleférico (first the purple line, then gray, and yellow) to Sopocachi. From the station, go to “Calle Ecuador” and then to “20 de Octubre.” You will find a great concentration of exciting urban artworks in these areas.
What’s more, if you have time, visit the tunnel between Sopocachi and San Pedro; on those walls, there are constantly evolving murals that are absolutely stunning.
La Paz is filled with amazing stories, cultural heritages, and spiritual experiences that tell about an incomparable city that deserves to be visited and enjoyed at least once in a lifetime. What a way to feel those emotions that are so difficult to explain in words!
