Street art in Cochabamba by Steep

Cochabamba, The Best Place for Street Art in Bolivia

Ver página en: Español

Whenever I visit a  new place, I always try to find the best spots for street art. After all, taking photos of beautiful murals is one of my passions. When I went to Bolivia, I was surprised to learn about Cochabamba and its rich urban art. It turns out that every couple of years there’s a great street art festival that brings together some of the best graffiti artists of South America. So thanks to the Bienal de Arte Urbano (BAU), Cocha — as the locals affectionately refer to Cochabamba — has some very impressive murals to show.

The last edition of the Biennale took place in 2013 and it brought together over 30 artists, mainly from South America, to let their creativity flow on the walls of Cochabamba. Overall, my favourite mural is the one t the start of this post, a piece by Ecuadorian artist Steep. This artwork features a scene from the Amazon jungle where humans, exotic birds and plants live in harmony. As soon as I saw it, I became a fan.

Mural by Bastardilla & Erica Ilcane in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Another favourite were the murals with collaborations by Italian Erica Ilcane and Colombian Bastardilla. During my trip around South America, I found other pieces of these two great artists.  I love how their styles blend and complement each other. Also, I was happy to see Erica Ilcane’s art on that side of the Atlantic. Previously, I had seen some of his works when I travelled around Italy.

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Brigada Negotropica and Charquipunk street art in Cochabamba, Bo

There were also a few murals by some of my favourite Chilean artists. Charquipunk, one of the signature artists of Valparaíso, did a few pieces with his iconic hummingbirds along with strong figures of cholitas — as the indigenous women of Bolivia are called. Elodio was also present with his trademark characters; he also did a few pieces around the neighborhood.

Mural by Elodio in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Mural by Decertor in Cochabamba, BoliviaPeruvian artist Decertor painted a couple of murals for the Biennale as well. I love his use of colours and his portraits of South American people. The mural above was the first one I saw from his works. Gladly, I found some more when I was in Lima.

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The Urban Art Biennale has successfully put Cochabamba on the map as an authentic urban art destination and the best place to see street art in Bolivia. The next edition of the festival should take place later this year. If you’re a street art fan travelling to Bolivia, you shouldn’t miss visiting Cochabamba!

For more information about this event and a guide of where the murals are located, visit their website (in Spanish only). If you’d like to see more photos of street art in Cochabamba, visit my gallery.

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Do you enjoy looking for street art while you travel? Which are your favourite locations and artists from South America? Leave me a comment, I’d love to know!

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1000 664 Bianca Bauza

Bianca Bauza

Bianca Bauza is a world citizen who spent almost four years traveling around South America and Europe. Her passions include photography, street art, outdoor sports, and cooking exotic dishes. She's now based in the Netherlands where she lives with her partner and young daughter. She still enjoys traveling, on her own or with her family, and is always looking for an opportunity to see new places.

All stories by : Bianca Bauza
12 Comments
  • gracias por el reporte de cochabamba
    deberias volver en abril
    realizaremos la 3era edicion de la bienal de arte urbano
    iremos 10 artistas de fuera de bolivia..y otros 10 de bolivia

    de donde eres??
    saludos

    sebastian
    charquipunk

    • Me encantaría volver a Cochabamba para ver lo nuevo de la 3ª edición de la bienal! Muchas gracias por avisar. No sé cuando vuelva por Bolivia, pero seguro que cuando vaya, paso por Cocha. Soy colombo/venezolana; pero estoy ahora en Holanda, de momento. Muchas gracias por el comentario, Sebastián. Me gusta mucho tu trabajo!

  • These are absolutely amazing! So colorful and go together with the blue sky, too.

  • Danuta/Boliviainmyeyes

    wow! Great gallery! I am in Cochabamba and I could see some of the pieces while walking around but I wasn’t aware of most of them:)

    • Thanks, Danuta! You’re lucky to be in Cochabamba :) You should keep your eyes open. In April, the third edition of the BAU is taking place; so I’m sure there will be even more awesome street art to see.

  • Street art in South America really is on different level, completely different from I’ve seen so far in europe or in some part of Asia. Incredibly colorful! :)

    • Yes, it is Franca :) I really love it when artists incorporate elements of the indigenous culture and the local nature in their works. For me it was very interesting to see and it made me even prouder to be South American!

  • Vivid colours on display. I love this street art. Makes me want to come to Bolivia.

    • Thanks for stopping by Steve! I’m glad you like it and that it inspires you to travel to Bolivia; it’s a really beautiful country and you should visit at least once!

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    […] city is often overlooked by most travelers. But if you love urban art, you should go. Really. The street art in Cochabamba was one of the best I saw during my trip around South […]

  • Donde están ubicadas las obras me gustaría pasar a verlos

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