Premis de Civisme

On 26 April 2018 the Government of Catalonia presented its 2017 Civic Awards (Premis de Civisme), which recognise actions, work, innovations, organisations and people that promote civic values or propose ideas, actions and improvements for their surroundings. Wallspot, a system for managing legal spaces for street art (formerly known as Murs Lliures), received the Civic Award for Innovation for its ability to reconcile artistic expression in the street with the city through new technologies.

Bringing art and technology together, Wallspot follows the smart city approach in a sector, street art, where this kind of technological and social knowledge had never been applied: managing artistic interventions in the street in a way that benefits everyone involved, from residents and cultural organisations to public administrations and artists.

Born in Barcelona in 2012, the initiative kept its roots in the city but began expanding internationally in 2016. At the time of the award it had more than 3,500 registered artists and more than 5,300 artistic interventions, and managed 73 spaces in 15 countries. We kept working to make it an international reference platform for urban art, promoting the visibility and professionalisation of urban artists and connecting cultural organisations, citizens and the artistic community to create international projects.