Street Art in Gouda: Murals, Graffiti and a 2011 Street View Panorama

Street art in Gouda is mostly documented as murals and graffiti by local artist Rasta and others, photographed for Wikimedia Commons. The city also appeared in Red Bull's 2011 Street Art View project as panorama id 138, but whether each wall survives is not confirmed; check dates before visiting.

What was the Street View panorama of Gouda?

The Street View street art Gouda record is a single 2011 panorama, id 138, from the Red Bull-backed Street Art View project. On February 15, 2011, Niels Post wrote on trendbeheer.com that the Gouda panorama was the only Dutch entry in its category. The post ran under the headline "Red Bull sponsort vandalisme in Gouda" and described the image as an advertisement for rookworst at the edge of the city. The body of the post does not detail the mural itself. A panorama is a fixed photo.

Which graffiti in Gouda is documented today?

The Wikimedia Commons category Graffiti in Gouda holds 15 files and two subcategories: Goverwellepad tunnel (9 files) and Winterdijk (7 files). The best-documented Rasta mural in Gouda is at Het Vlot in Oosthoef, photographed on 18 November 2020. Its file page gives coordinates 52.035137, 4.704895 and a CC0 license. Other Rasta works are identified by filename at the library of Gouda, Bloemendaal and Vrijheid Verzetsmuseum, but their dates are not stated. De Draak at Lazaruskade 57a is also listed, with no artist named. The category is not an exhaustive art survey; it reflects what Commons users chose to photograph and upload.

How can you check what is still there?

1. Open the Commons file and note when it was photographed; the date tells you how old the record is. If coordinates are given, note them down; the Oosthoef file lists 52.035137, 4.704895.
2. Compare the address or coordinates in Street View's historical imagery when available. Documented spots such as the Oosthoef wall and the Goverwellepad tunnel can be checked this way.
3. Use urban art routes from the digital map to the real experience to turn documented spots into a walk.
4. Apply the habit of looking without haste to verify the wall in person.

Why did a brand-sponsored wall draw attention in 2011?

The trendbeheer headline used the word "vandalisme" for the sponsored panorama. The post was brief and light in tone; it described the image as a rookworst advertisement at the edge of the city rather than as an art piece. The contrast between a branded advertisement and the word "vandalisme" echoes longer discussions covered in from anonymity to recognition, in walls as protest, and in where street art began.

FAQ

Where can you see street art in Gouda?

Commons lists works in Oosthoef, Vest, Westergouwe, Groenhovenpark and the Goverwellepad and Winterdijk tunnels.

Who is Rasta?

Rasta is the name associated with murals in Gouda. The Oosthoef mural from 2020 is attributed to Abderrahim Rasta Hachimi on Commons.

Was Gouda part of Street Art View?

Yes, Gouda was included as panorama id 138, reported by trendbeheer on February 15, 2011.

Is there a street art map of Gouda?

There is no verified official map. The table above indexes the works documented in the Commons category.

Gouda's documented street art is a small set: one 2011 panorama and a handful of Commons photographs.

Sources

• Trendbeheer, "Red Bull sponsort vandalisme in Gouda," Niels Post, 15 February 2011.
• Wikimedia Commons, File:Graffiti aan de Oosthoef in Gouda.jpg, 18 November 2020.
• Wikimedia Commons, Category:Graffiti in Gouda.