Linked to the Norwegian mainland by the Måløybrua Bridge and surrounded by the Stadhavet, Måløy on the island of Vågsøy is one of the country’s largest fishery ports. Måløy is located at the end of the Nordfjord, right off the coast of Vestland – where the fjord meets the sea. The city center is located on Vågsøy island with its back to the sea and is a safe haven for boat traffic when the stormy weather prevents the crossing of the Stadhavet (Stad Sea). The picturesque landscape and a variety of energizing outdoor activities are the main attractions of this quaint town, from scenic waters that inspire kayaking, boating, and fishing to rugged cliffs for hiking, pretty trails suited to biking, and the strip of white sand at Refviksanden Strand, delightful for swimming.
During World War II, the German occupation forces built several fortifications in Måløy. The Måløy raid (Operation Archery) was aimed at targets in Måløy and Vågsøy, which led to major destructions. Today, Måløy has a strong business community and is perhaps best known for its maritime and marine activities. The area has long, proud traditions in fishing, farming and shipyards.
Street Art – An urban encounter with an ocean view. “When Tone Andal returned to her hometown Måløy in 2010, she quickly became aware of Måløy’s potential as a street art town, with all its grey and worn-out walls.
“Due to the Måløy raid during World War II, large parts of Måløy were bombed and burned down, and the town lost most of its older wooden houses, characteristic boathouses. Since then, large industrial buildings and concrete blocks were built in the 1950s, which to this day characterizes this town. A perfect starting point to turn grey stone into gold.
“Andal had lived in Oslo for several years, in an artist district where the walls were diligently painted by various graffiti artists. She now lives and works in Måløy with the “street art” project in addition to working with her own art.
“Today you will find as many as 20 murals in the Måløy region, most of which can be seen within walking distance in the town center.” — www.exploremaloy.com/en/street-art
Below are several photographs of some of the murals your blogger discovered in his bicycle ride around Måløy. All desctriptions of the murals are from the Måløy website, www.exploremaloy.com/en/street-art
Illustrator Mikael Noguchi (Japan / Sweden / Norway) came to Måløy in June 2018 and performed three jobs here. One shows four fishermen posing proudly in front of a mackerel sturgeon. This is the largest tuna species, and among the fastest of all bonefish with a speed of up to 66 kilometers / hr. The painting is inspired by old black and white photographs of fishermen in Måløy in the 1950s. The mackerel sturgeon is highly endangered, and in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research, Nordfjord Havfiskeklubb is working to enter into a “branding project” of the fish so that it once again becomes sustainable. The painting can be found on Lekteren in Måløy, close to where the express boat from Bergen docks.
TelmoMiel also painted this one when they were here in August 2018. If you look closer, you can see many symbols associated with Måløy’s local history.
Oslo resident Kim Larsen, also known as Sinnsykshit, came to Måløy in August 2019 to create a series of three paintings. These were the first not to be inspired by local culture and history. Here Larsen got free rein to make something he himself thought was cool. You can see the result outside Kiwi by the square in the centre of Måløy
Stepan Bares comes from Siberia but lives in Bergen where he works as a graffiti artist and specializes in the decoration of “Russ busses” (busses usually bought or rented for groups of graduation high school students) and the like. Artist Gaute Haugland also lives in Bergen. In September 2017, Stepan and Gaute painted Måløy’s first mural. This shows a weather-beaten fisherman scouting across the stormy sea. Around him, the seagulls flutter, and around his neck, a thick golden chain. This is meant to show that fishing is still lucrative, but also that there has probably been a lot of “mafia activity” in this industry in Måløy through the ages. The painting was a great success among the locals and showed that this was something we wanted more of. The painting can be found in street 1 no. 26 by the shop Bekka, close to Måløy guest harbour.
Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2023 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.
Where in the world is Riccardo? 