Is graffiti even an issue to the police and politicians? I know it's illegal but it seems so widespread it surely isnt being tackled.

I know Switzerland is not unique, but there's a lot of it here. And it's mostly poor quality and makes the place look more shite than it is. All along railway lines, on the sides of industrial buildings etc.

Occasionally some is quite artistic and I could, in the right circumstances, admire it. But the vast majority is not talented, and doesn't enhance the character of the place.

Switzerland and Germany are very similar - much more graffiti in Basel (and when I lived in Stuttgart) than I see walking around in London.

Unlike, say, London where it's often concentrated on tunnels/bridges/stations here I've seen wonderful 16th century buildings tagged.

That's also the main difference. Tagging (just writing your nickname in black over and over) is much more prevalent than the colourful stuff, unfortunately.

Been noticed before. Nothing changes!
[Noticed a lot of] Graffiti

Is your problem with the spelling and grammar or the comparisons with Banksy?

They have a lot in Sweden too. Like here it's often written in English. There's a massive grain tower in malmo that some git has written "WTF" on, and in case your granny or child nephew doesn't know what that stands for, they've helpfully written the meaning out in full in letters 10th high 200ft in the air so that you can read it from 10 miles away.

On the train into Zurich HB some sod has written the f-word in massive letters on a wall. Thanks, glad someone speaks english before Swiss-German, hope this graffiti artist is surving in the chemist next time i need I need wort cream

Just came across this today...

http://swisswatching.wordpress.com/2...swiss-disease/

I cannot criticise anyone's spelling, but I can critique their artwork, and it usually sucks when it comes to Swiss graffiti.

Very witty observer, thanks

I imagine that must be very frustrating.

Nice quotes, "no riots....". Guess it's all just happy cows grazing in Alpine pastures green and bored shepherd boys armed with spray paint cans.

Some of the viewers here may not have been here long enough to know about Zürich's most infamous street artist - Harald Naegeli.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that apartments must be handed back with pure white walls and so inside so many homes are like clinics

I find all the tagging and mainly moronic scrawlings an effing eyesore and it does give the impression of a society in decay. Its a problem Switzerland even exports on occasion - although other countries have a less laissez-faire attitude to it http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10417167

The blog is shyte and so are his theories. There are profound reasons why there is so much tagging and gaffiting going on.

I remember seeing a bunch of blue FCZ and GCZ messy tags around the cities after matches. One time I overheard some older folk complaining about how bad the crime is with this tagging everywhere. Couldn't help but laugh to myself when the worst of the "crime graffiti" is just in support of the local professional sports team. REBELS!

you should know Sigi von Koeding aka "DARE" the best grafitti artist from Basel if you want to know the real grafitti in switzerland but unfortunately he died last year.

My husband used to be a grafitti artist in basel way way back like 20yrs. ago and i must say grafitti before compare to ypung grafitti artists now is way better or i must say incomparable.

http://www.google.ch/m/search?q=sigi...iw=320&bih=416

Near where I used to live there was a kindergarten wall which looked like it had been painted by the kids. It was cute and colourful.

It didn't take long for some twat to spraypaint their crap all over the top of it. I don't know for sure, but if I was one of those kids I'd be pretty upset.

Yup. And people's cars and vans.

Remember English is a foreign language in Switzerland.

This would be equivalent to somebody graffiting Swiss-German swearwords in London. Would people be as offended as if it were English, even if they knew what it meant? Na, it would come across as quaint, maybe even artistic.

What exactly do you mean by "being tackled" ? Should there be a force of thousands of plainclothes-policemen roaming the city at night ?

should cane these little shtheads and the morons who support graffiti as 'public art'

So that Banksy "work of art" limited edition numbered hardback coffee table book that I especially purchased for you for Christmas, should go where exactly, the trash can?

Alright, sprayers caught here are not in danger to get caned, as CH justice does not include torture methods. But there are quite heavy fines for them, while hardly prison. Police tries to stop spraying wherever it is possible. But those sprayers of course disappear when a police car or a policeman gets into sight. And many sprayers know the city far better than many of those policemen.

what in your opinion are these "profound theories"?