10 Urban Art Installations That Celebrate Books and Music
From staircases turned into philosophy shelves to lamp posts jamming in a jazz band, these ten public artworks celebrate two of humanity’s most powerful forms of expression—books and music. Spotted across the globe, this curated collection features a violin bigger than a building, a sparrow flying out of a storybook, and benches that look like novels ready to be opened. Here’s how artists have brought literature and rhythm into the streets.
More: 10 Street Art Masterpieces That Will Make You Fall in Love with Books Again
1. Stairs of Knowledge — University of Balamand, Lebanon
This painted staircase outside the library at the University of Balamand features 21 classic book spines arranged in near-chronological order. Titled the “Stairs of Knowledge,” the installation symbolizes intellectual progress through reading and has become a visual landmark for students and visitors alike.
2. Book Bench — Zaporozhye, Ukraine
Installed near the city library of Zaporozhye, this creatively designed bench resembles an open book with curved wooden slats for seating and white painted pages along the sides. It’s a fitting tribute to reading placed right at the heart of literary access.
3. Jazz Lamps
Street lamps take the shape of jazz musicians—one plays trumpet, another saxophone—while an ornate metal bench forms a piano. The snow-covered scene amplifies the surreal atmosphere.
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4. Guitar Player — Mural by Alex Maksiov in Houston, Texas, USA
Painted directly onto stair steps, this large-scale mural shows a boy sitting with a white electric guitar and an open blue case beneath him, making clever use of perspective.
🔗 Follow Alex Maksiov on Instagram
5. I Have A Dream — Mural by Bane & Pest in Chur, Switzerland
A giant sparrow emerges from a glowing open book, carrying a girl on its back. Surrounding it are tall stacks of painted books in a dreamlike composition.
More!: Amazing Murals by 3D Master Fabian Bane (7 Photos)
6. Miles Davis — Sculpture by Vlado Kostov in Kotor, Montenegro
Crafted from scrap metal, this detailed sculpture of Miles Davis captures the iconic trumpeter mid-performance, blending industrial materials with fluid motion.
7. Stringed Soul — Mural by SFHIR in Fene, Spain
Painted across the height of a building, a woman appears mid-performance with a giant white violin integrated into the building’s shape, her expression serene and focused.
More!: Turning Walls into Stories! 6 Murals by SFHIR
8. Fox and Bookshop — Mural by HERA in Vincennes, France
A giant fox curls protectively around two children reading outside a bookstore. The quote translates: “The children asked the fox how to escape reality. He replied: it’s easy, just open a book.”
More!: HERA – Crafting Stories on Walls Around the World
9. Violin Wall — Mural by Dopie in Delft, Netherlands
A hyper-saturated violin mural appears to float off the wall of a residential building. The stylized design gives a pop-art twist to classical music.
🔗 Follow Dopie on Instagram
10. Trombone Player — Mural by Tom Bob in New York, USA
A yellow gas pipe becomes the body of a trombone, transformed by clever street art into a fun character blowing the horn, giving life to overlooked city infrastructure.
More!: 33 Cute Street Art Pieces by Creative Genius Tom Bob
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