This summer, during our road trip around Norway, we took the opportunity to make a quick stop to see the fantastic street art in Sandefjord.
Located on the southern coast of Norway, just 120 km away from Oslo, Sandefjord is a small coastal city with a rich historical heritage, picturesque streets, and some world-class murals. So when we realized we were going to be nearby, I insisted on stopping by to check out its beautiful urban art.
On this occasion, we didn’t have much time to get a good feel of the city. It was late in the evening and we still needed to find a spot to sleep for the night. However, thanks to long summer days, we were able to squeeze one last stop before the end of our day.
Street Art in Sandefjord
Most of the murals in Sandefjord were created as part of a collaboration between the non-profit organization Art for All in the World and the city. The project aimed to celebrate inclusiveness, tolerance, and diversity. During a couple of weeks in July 2017, a small group of international artists and members of the local community painted 10 murals around that theme.
In 2018, two new murals were added to this impressive collection. The first one is by Danish artist Victor Ash, who created an awesome mural about the challenges that we are facing with climate change. The second mural was by local artist Linn Horntvedt, which evokes a “Black Hole Sun” vibe, imo.
Our Favorite Murals in Sandefjord
Personally, I loved this massive mural by Eduardo Kobra (Brazil). I’ve seen a lot his work online, so anytime I get a chance to see one in person, I’m thrilled! The first time I saw one of his murals was in Lodz (Poland), so I was pretty stoked to see this one as well. Titled “Peace Between Nations”, the mural depicts five people of different ethnicities and features Kobra’s signature style of bright colors and geometric shapes.
Another favorite mural, located in the same area as the first, was this one by Ukranian artist AEC. This piece is called ‘Trekkfugel’ / ‘Birds of passage’. I really like its surrealist nature and all the symbolic details in his work, so I was also happy when I saw another of his murals in Heerlen in the Netherlands.
Also, I found the mural below, by Belgian artist Smates, quite captivating. He usually features animal figures along with children in his works, which adds a certain playful innocence that I quite like. Before our visit to Sandefjord, I wasn’t really familiar with his work. However, after searching online, I hope to see some more of his murals.
Meanwhile, Serbian artist Artez created two murals for the Art for All in World project. Unfortunately, we only saw one of them this time; but I guess that’s a good reason to go back next time.
We also quite liked this mural by Spanish artists Matias Sabotajealmontaje. The work is called “We are all refugees” and I think it really captures the essence of the project’s theme.
I’m glad we took the time to stop in Sandefjord to see this little street art collection. It was awesome to see these stunning murals by some favorite artists and discover a couple of new names. Also, I’m happy that during this trip we check another two excellent street destinations in Norway. More on those soon!
Good to Know
You can find the addresses for all the murals of this project here.
Have you been to Sandefjord? How did you like it? Do you know any other street art destinations in Norway that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment and let us know!
Bianca Bauza
Travel Writer
Bianca 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.
I have not been to Sandefjord yet but will have to try and visit when I am next in Norway. I have been to Stavanger also in Norway which has a fantastic collection of street art and definitely worth a visit.