tagging in the tundra: my freezing adventure in tromsø

okay, so i'm in tromsø, norway, and it's fucking cold. like, the weather app says -3.46 degrees celsius, but feels like -9.67, which means your fingers freeze off if you take your gloves off for more than a second. i just stepped outside and it's...brutal, hope you like that kind of thing.

i came here because i heard there's an emerging street art scene in the arctic. but man, this place is quiet. the streets are mostly empty, probably because it's -3.46 out and dark most of the day. i tagged this spot at coordinates 70.9932, 18.04033242, which is right by the river, and the paint was freezing in the can. i had to shake it like crazy and keep it in my pockets. einar, the local artist i met, told me that in deep winter, you need to use special cold-weather spray or keep your cans in a cooler with hand warmers. i'm too cheap for that, so i just worked fast.

someone told me that the best walls are near the polaria aquarium, but when i went, it was just tourists taking selfies with the arctic animals. i heard from another tagger that the real gems are in the backstreets of the city center, like behind the old fish market. i found some dope brick walls there, but they were already tagged. not fresh, but the history was cool to see - layers upon layers of paint.

if you get bored of the arctic chill, bergen is just a short flight away, and they have a sick graffiti culture with huge murals. but i'm here for the solitude and the unique vibe. the northern lights are insane, but they don't help with tagging since it's dark all the time anyway.

i overheard a guy in a bar called 'ørn' saying that the police here are cool with tags if they're artistic and not on private property. but then a whispered voice from the corner told me that they cracked down last winter after a controversial piece about oil drilling. so, it's a mixed bag. better to ask for permission if you can.

for supplies, i checked yelp and found 'kreativ korn', an art store that sells spray paint, but it's expensive as hell. a can costs like 200 kroner? no thanks. i brought my own from oslo, but i should've brought more. i ran out quick.

anyway, here's a map of where i was scouting and tagging:

and here are some pics of the walls i saw and the vibe:

the cold here is no joke. i've tagged in winter before, but this? -3.46 with a feels-like of -9.67 is a whole different beast. my paint was clogging, my hands were numb after five minutes. i heard that some artists use heated tents, but that's for the pros. i just suffered through it.

i met einar, a norwegian artist who does these amazing stencils of arctic animals and the northern lights. we tagged a wall together near the harbor, and the cops just drove by without stopping. einar said that as long as it's not offensive and on a permitted wall, they're chill. but then he told me a story about a friend who got fined for tagging a government building during a protest. so, know your spots.

for more info on the local scene, check out the Tromsø Street Art Festival on TripAdvisor - they have reviews and tips. there's also a Tromsø Graffiti Forum where locals share spots and warn about police patrols. and for warming up, hit up Bassen Cafe on Yelp - their hot chocolate is lifesaving.

i'm leaving tomorrow, heading south to Oslo for a bit before i head home. but i left my mark in the arctic circle, quite literally since it's so cold. peace out, and remember: bundle up, tag smart, and enjoy the silence.

tromsø is this tiny city above the arctic circle, and in december, the sun doesn't rise at all. it's constant twilight, which is eerie but cool for art because the streetlights make everything glow. i walked around for hours with my headlamp, searching for walls. the snow makes everything look clean, but the paint sticks better on cold surfaces, so that's a plus.

the people here are surprisingly friendly. i was freezing outside a wall, trying to warm my hands, and this old lady offered me a thermos of tea. we talked about the art, and she said she likes the colorful tags because it breaks the monotony of winter. that was dope.

but the cost of living is nuts. a beer costs 80 kroner, and a meal? forget it. i ate pasta for every meal. as a street artist, you gotta be resourceful. i found a hostel with a kitchen, so i cooked my own food.

the street art scene is small but growing. there's an annual festival in summer called ' Tromsø Street Art Festival' where international artists come and paint murals. i missed it by a month, but i saw some remnants from last year. einar told me that the city provides some legal walls, but they're competitive to get. i just found my own spots in abandoned lots.

i read on a local board that some residents complain about graffiti, but others embrace it. it's a balance. i tagged this one wall that was already full of pieces, so i added to the collage. that's how you do it up here - respect the existing art.

the weather: i just checked, and it's still -3.46, feels like -9.67. i'm not even surprised anymore. my phone battery dies faster in this cold. i had to keep it in my pocket.

neighbors: if you get tired of the snow, the lofoten islands are a short drive away, and they have a growing art scene with these red fisherman's huts turned galleries. but i don't have a car, so i took a bus to the airport instead.

anyway, i'm signing off. this post is messy, but so was my trip. hope you enjoyed the read. don't come in winter unless you're prepared.