There are currently three legal walls in Aberdeen. These are places where anyone can paint and their status as legal walls grants you permission. You can use spray-paint, liquid paint, brushes, stencils, pens, or any other painting materials which work for you.
Sunnybank Park
///strong.homes.basket
This community-led park has lots of amenities including Aberdeen’s most famous legal wall. If you access Sunnybank Park from Sunnyside Road, continue down the tarmacked road past the playpark and towards the allotments, the legal wall will be on the right hand side beside the exercise equipment. There are regular jams and events at this wall and one memorial piece. This space is also home to lots of other activities and facilities, like football goals, Gibberie Wallie, and allotments. Permission is granted by the Friends of Sunnybank Park, and the wall is managed by ThrowUpGallery.
Mounthooly Underpass
///luck.define.grew and ///happen.resist.spring
The tunnels under Mounthooly roundabout were built to help children safely cross the road to Casewayend School. Now, they are home to 62 meters of legal wall. Permission is granted by Aberdeen City Council, and the wall is managed by ThrowUpGallery.
Altens Legal Wall
///salon.slice.paints
This is a temporary legal wall on Hareness road. You can find this wall at the old Muller Wiseman depot, on the corner of Harness Road and Minto Avenue. Part of the building site at the new Energy Transition Skills Hub, this wall will be removed when the building is complete, so be sure to use it until then! Permission is granted by ETZ Ltd, and the wall is managed by Outlines Creative.
Please be aware that as this is a legal wall someone else may come and paint their next piece on top of yours. There are no official rules but when selecting where you would like to paint, you may want to consider:
- How long the piece you are covering has been there (is it new? Is it a memorial?)
- How much effort has been put in to the piece (are you going to match the level of effort put in?)
- Who has painted this piece (has this artist got several pieces in this spot? Is this a marginalised artist?)
- How big the space is (are you going to be able to cover the whole thing?)
This helps make sure everyone’s pieces get a fair airing. Some people like to use a base coat of emulsion or masonry paint to create a fresh base. This makes it easier to see your design but also respectfully covers any existing work.
Do you have a space which could become a legal wall? Contact us to discuss options.
Outlines Creative C.I.C. 