Readers of anythingbutpaella are probably already aware that we are fans of Urban Art. A few miles inland from Castellón (Comunidad Valenciana) is the village of Fanzara which has taken this artform to a new level. MIAU Fanzara, literally Museo Inacabado de Arte Urbano – The Unfinished Museum of Urban Art, will exercise your mind and your legs equally as you wander around the streets trying so hard to see it all. An impossible task, we are sure!
What is particularly amazing about this spectacular place is that the artwork was never created to generate tourist numbers for the village. It was a project about enabling young people to express themselves. In the subsequent years it has grown and grown becoming the outdoor gallery that it is today. Ok, so the 2020 festival bit the dust alongside almost everything else around the world, but with a bit of luck, it will be back bigger and better than ever in early July 2021.
There are works of art of all shapes and sizes dotted around the town. If you head to the visitor centre (see map at bottom of page) you can pick up a leaflet and make a contribution by buying a gift to take home. There’s also a pdf of the leaflet if you want to try to plan your route in advance. With over 150 works to see though, you are bound to miss something! Some cover entire buildings whilst others require a more discerning eye. There are even a few strange sculptures around the place.
Here is a selection of our favourite images of the day, displayed as two slideshows – one landscape and one portrait. Obviously it would be wrong to share photos of everything, as we really want you to visit and see this spectacular sight for yourself!
We thoroughly enjoyed spending a few hours in Fanzara. Don’t forget to “like” MIAU on Facebook too. If you haven’t heard about the other places where we have seen spectacular murals, take a look at the blogs about San Isidro (Alicante), Los Alcazares (Murcia), and Canet d’en Berenguer (Valencia).
