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Have Miles to Burn? See Haifa’s Unforgettable Street Art

Renee Grayson/Wikimedia

Have frequent flier miles burning a hole in your pocket and need new ideas for where to go? Check out our weekly Have Miles Will Travel column to discover strange, wonderful and unique destinations around the world. 

Want to experience more arts and culture this year? If you have extra miles to spend on a trip, you must see the unforgettable street art from a most unlikely place: Haifa, Israel.

Found in France. (nid2graff/Flickr)

Meet the Broken Fingaz

You may go to Haifa in Israel for the rich culture and history, but while you’re there, keep your eyes peeled for bright, colorful, retro-inspired street art from dream team Broken Fingaz. It’s a four-person crew with the aliases Unga, Tant, Kip, and Deso, and they were one of the first and only graffiti collectives in Israel.

When the group started, they were just painting murals around Haifa. Sadly, the murals which weren’t commissioned were ruined by the local government. In order to create a livelihood, the team started taking commercial projects. Now, Broken Fingaz travels to different cities, such as London, New Orleans, and Las Vegas, working on commissions for restaurants and businesses and showing at exhibits. And after 20 years of beautiful art, they still haven’t revealed their true identities.

Nonetheless, Broken Fingaz rose to popularity that even celebrities have begun to work with them. U2 commissioned the group for an entire music video, and other artists are using their work for album covers. The group takes on residencies as well to create art in other cities. They recently completed one in Mexico.

Found in Shoreditch, London. (MsSaraKelly/Wikimedia)

The Road From Tel Aviv to Haifa

The crew got their start in Haifa, in northern Israel. The closest international airport is Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. You can hop on another flight to get to Haifa’s airport, but it’s easier (and probably cheaper) to go straight there from Tel Aviv. Although the train takes a bit more than an hour, it still runs hourly and boards right from the airport. You can also rent a car or take a bus or taxi, which will take about an hour and a half—just be sure that if you take a taxi, there’s a running meter or an agreed-upon price before you get on the road.

When you get to Haifa, be sure to check out one of the group’s coolest projects: a courtyard mural on the ground that looks like a giant patterned rug, surrounded by brightly colored building faces.

Found in Shoreditch, London. (MsSaraKelly/Wikimedia)

Prime Mural Time

Broken Fingaz is working year-round and announces shows on the website. Follow the blog to see where they’re working next. If you can’t make it out, watch the Instagram page and the blog for detail shots of recently finished work. To see the original piece that spawned their career in Haifa, consider visiting in the spring (March or April) before it gets too hot to enjoy yourself.

[Featured Image: Renee Grayson/Wikimedia]

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