Nuart 2011, the annual Street Art festival in Stavanger Norway, just wrapped with a small tight roster of international artists putting new murals and installations around this waterfront city of 120,000. An inventive late “Summer Camp” that has brought worldwide attention and fame to the city in the last decade, Nuart continues to creatively stretch and challenge it’s participants while putting them on the street, in the gallery, and in front of the classroom.

Lucy McLauchlan (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © Mookie Mooks)

It could be the electronic music festival, the wicked history of goth and black metal spawned here, or the nearly thousand year old cathedral downtown, but something smart skews the outlaw impulses of artists toward exploration here. Perhaps it’s just the contrast of this sharp manicured capital of culture playing host to an art movement associated with urban decay that feeds the uncanny tension in some of the work. Whatever it is, each year there is something of high caliber that helps keep Nuart fresh and relevant.

For Nuart 2011 eleven artists from seven countries worked to create installations, including an indoor exhibition in a complex of buildings that formerly housed a brewery. Participating artists were Dan Witz (US), David Choe & DVS1 (US), Vhils (PO), Herbert Baglione (BR), Dolk (NO), Lucy McCluchlan (UK), Herakut (DE), Tellas (IT), Escif (ES), HYURO (ES), and Phlegm (UK)

Lucy McLauchlan (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Escif (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Escif, Hyuro (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © John Rodger)

Hyuro (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

David Choe, DVS1 (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

David Choe, DVS1 (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

David Choe, DVS1 (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

David Choe, DVS1 (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © John Rodger)

Phlegm (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Dan Witz (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © Dan Witz)

Dan Witz (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © Dan Witz)

Dan Witz (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © John Rodger)

Dan Witz conducted the first ever Workshop for Children at Nuart with great success! (photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © John Rodger)

Herakut (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © Akut)

Herakut (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Hera of Herakut (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © Mookie Mooks)

Herakut (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © John Rodger)

Dolk (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Vhils (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Vhils (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Tellas (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © John Rodger)

Tellas (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Tellas (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Tellas (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Herbert Baglione (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © CFSalicath)

Herbert Baglione (Photo Courtesy of Nuart11 © Mookie Mooks)

With special thanks to the talented photographers: CFSalicath, John Rodger, Mookie Mooks and Akut.

To learn more about Nuart visit their site at:

http://www.nuartfestival.no

This article also appears on The Huffington Post