#gene pendon

Guido van Helten, “No Exit” – Reykjavik, Iceland

These beautiful black-and-white murals are based on Andrés Kolbeinsson’s photographs of a local production of the Jean-Paul Sartre play “No Exit” in the 1960s. They are located on the Loftkastalinn building, a former theatre space in Reykjavik, Iceland and were pained in the winter of 2013-14.

Dmitri Vrubel, “My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love” – Berlin, Germany

This political mural depicts a 1979 photograph where Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, and Erich Honecker, the General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of the German Democratic Republic, share a socialist fraternal kiss.

It is located on the eastern side of the Berlin Wall and has become an emblem of the city.

Patrick Commecy, multiple murals – France

Patrick Commecy and his team, under the name A.Fresco, have painted over 300 trompe l’œil murals to beautify existing buildings. Each piece is custom to the building it is located on to make sure that it fits the décor and story of the place. This one is “Levallois en fleurs.”

Millo, “Everyone Is Searching for It” – Milan, Italy

Painted in 2015 and depicting a man searching for love in the big city using a fortune stick and a woman hopefully catapulting her heart, Millo’s Everyone Is Searching for It is a great example of the artist’s signature style.

Louis Gan, “Brother and sister having fun on the swing” – George Town, Malaysia

George Town is known for its street art (amongst many other things, of course) and this mural, Brother and sister having fun on the swing, is probably one of the city’s most photographed, because passersby can include themselves in the art!

Banksy, “Girl with Balloon” – London, UK

Arguably one of the most famous murals in recent years, Banksy’s Girl with Balloon was first painted on Waterloo Bridge in 2002, and other similar murals were also painted around London, although none remain today. In fact, in 2018, a framed copy of the painting spontaneously shredded while it was being auctioned, thanks to a mechanical device that the artist had hidden in the frame.

ChemiS, “House of Cards” – San Nicolas, Aruba

Painted as part of the Aruba Art Fair, ChemiS’s House of Cards takes up the whole façade of the Winter Garden bar restaurant and nightclub. Its trompe l’œil effect is really impressive!

Comic Book Route – Brussels, Belgium

In 1991, the City of Brussels authorities and the Belgian Comic Strip Center undertook the project of creating a comic strip route in the city of Brussels, covering up plain walls. The project has since grown to over 50 murals.

Belfast Murals – Belfast, Ireland

Northern Ireland has a complicated and tumultuous political and religious history and the Belfast Murals depict this, highlighting important moments and people of the last 40 years. One of the best ways to visit is with a black cab tour, to admire the works of art and learn about the local history.

El Mac & Gene Pendon, “Leonard Cohen” – Montreal, CA

Montreal is a city renowned for its street art and holds the annual Mural street art festival. In recent years, two gigantic murals honouring the late Canadian singer, songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen have sprung up on building façades. The most impressive one is located on Crescent Street and can be admired from the city’s Kondiaronk belvedere.

Keith Haring, “We the Youth” – Philadelphia, USA

Created in 1987 in collaboration with the CityKids Foundation and restored in 2013, We the Youth is the only Keith Haring mural that remains intact in its original site. The mural was painted to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the United States Constitution and is a play on the phrase “We the people.”

The mural is located at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Thanks to MSN for the images and text provided above.