Cheap Stay, Free Art — Why Hostels Are a Hot Spot for Emerging Artists

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Travelers have long sought to connect with local culture by exploring the art scene in places they visit. That concept is robustly embraced these days not just in museums and galleries, but in a somewhat surprising venue — hostels.

Many hostels around the world — from European and South American cultural hot spots to a small harbor town in New Zealand — feature the contemporary artwork of cartoonists and graffiti artists and replicas of works by the great masters.Hostelling International San Diego Downtown Hostel began sponsoring “hostel takeover” events several years ago with local art, live music, and food, and, like other hostels, it even has a permanent gallery space.

“Our hostels support homegrown, up-and-coming artists by commissioning artworks and offering them a vibrant, international environment to showcase their work,” said Paul Halpenny, head of supply for Hostelworld, an online budget travel booking website based in London and Dublin that provides reservations for more than 30,000 properties in 180 countries.

“Hostels give travelers access to art, no matter what their budget, and surround them with the local culture,” he said.

Hostels today are not what they once were; the trend is away from cheap, low-end dives long associated with backpackers and students, in favor of more upscale, design-oriented establishments that attract 20-somethings as well as families, older adults, retirees, and even business travelers.

How and when the focus on art began has not been tracked. But Manuel Frías recalled the inspiration behind the Art Factory hostel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after he and a colleague bought a once-elegant mansion in 2007 that was in need of “a fast and cheap ‘change of look.’”

“We decided that we didn’t want a conventional refurbishment,” said Frías, one of the hostel’s owners. “We were walking every day the streets of our neighborhood, San Telmo, and met a few street artists,” he said. They invited the artists to “take possession” of the walls as “a small tribute to those great ideas that are painted onto walls across the whole city.” Today, each room is an original work painted by a different artist. “We see it as an expression that will positively affect your mood,” Frías said — “a living museum of street art.” The newly opened Art Factory Palermo in northeast Buenos Aires shares the philosophy of its sister hostel.

“We are always open to new art on our walls,” Frías said. “So artists from the world, let us know that you are interested in painting at the hostel and you will be very welcome!”

The Art Hostel in Sofia, Bulgaria, prides itself on supporting a wide range of emerging Bulgarian artists — including musicians, dancers, poets, and painters — and for helping launch careers. Some artists got early exposure at the hostel, and “now they are locally and internationally known,” said Rayna Moneva, an owner and manger. The hostel also serves as a meeting place where artists, community members, and travelers easily mingle to “stimulate cultural exchange,” she said.  

Like coffee shops that in the last 20 to 30 years became makeshift galleries, hostels today provide “a dynamic venue, a melting pot of ideas,” said Mark Vidalin, managing director of Syncopate Media, a marketing consultancy, and who previously worked for nonprofit Hostelling International USA. “Art is not just on the walls, but in ongoing conversations. Artists walk in with art, and everyone walks out with new ideas and inspiration.”

Generator Hostels, a company owned by Patron Capital, has nine properties in Europe, all deeply committed to local artist and community engagement, said Josh Wyatt, Generator’s chief strategic officer. Last summer, Generator Copenhagen and Generator Berlin Mitte hosted #REGENERATE14, an immersive event with more than 20 artists and performers.

It was “a full artists’ takeover” of the properties, Wyatt said. Both hostels were transformed for a weekend, bringing together artists, guests, young art aficionados, and locals “to experience interactive art, live music, themed rooms, art creation, pop-up shops, and much more,” the company said.

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