Scenes from Chile: Santiago and Valparaiso's Street Art
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Well-heeled residents fled Barrio Brasil's ornate, 19th-century homes for steel-and-glass skyscrapers. Artists have since reclaimed the streets.
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Chile's largest port is arguably the country's most scenic city, with lollipop-colored homes staggered along the 22 hills that rise from the Pacific Coast.
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Irreverent street art adds a touch of modern to the brilliant 19th century buildings.
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Zigzagging streets, spiraling stairs, and century-old "escalators" connect the port to the scenic hilltops.
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In a deeply Catholic society, papal graffiti is a must.
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The entire city of Valparaiso, endearingly called Valpo, is a collage of diverse styles and talent.
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No street corner is left untouched.
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Valparaiso, a Unesco World Heritage site, is a multicolored beauty on the Chilean coast.
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Political messages in street art are nothing new in Chile, where public murals have been used to convey messages since the 1940s.
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Colorful or monochromic, anime-like or abstract, Santiago's street art ranges widely in style.
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Schoolchildren strike poses in Barrio Brasil.
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The easiest way to experience Barrio Brasil is to take one of the many buses going east on Compaña de Jesus from the Quinta Normal station on subway line 5. But really, you should walk.
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Bellavista, home to many universities, is another good district to check out street art.
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La Chascona, one of many homes that Pablo Neruda owned, is in the neighborhood; a mural depics his profile.
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Many pieces are not only condoned but also commissioned by business and home owners.
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But some building facades are free-for-all canvases.
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What are you looking at?