Urban Nation: When street art gets its own museum in Berlin

Construction for the Urban Nation Museum of Urban Contemporary Art began in May 2016. A late-19th century house in the Berlin district of Schöneberg was redesigned by German architecture studio Graft. Street art is not only exhibited inside but also on the building itself. Elements of the façade are removable and will be redesigned regularly to later be included in the museum's collection.

The interior of the new museum offers visitors an entirely new and unexpected perception of space – as if streets were literally transposed into the building. The gallery bridge, which runs through the two-story museum and connects all exhibition rooms, makes it possible to view large-scale artworks from a distance and up close.

British street artist Hush has studied graphic design in Newcastle, and he's shown his geisha-inspired pieces in solo exhibitions in Melbourne and Los Angeles. He creates his portraits of the female Japanese entertainers by using traditional colors and various techniques such as graffiti, collage, painting and stencils. Hush's work focuses on the female form.

Polish-born artist Mariusz Waras aka M-City has painted walls and buildings in Warsaw, Gdansk, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and other cities. His dense city skylines consist of many details, patterns and strong lines. The painting here expresses his critical view on Berlin: real buildings such as Berlin's main train station or the Volksbühne theater are uprooted and placed in the midst of hotels.

Norwegian stencil artist Martin Whatson is always on the lookout for the beauty of things that are usually considered ugly or old-fashioned. The artist finds inspiration in cities, graffiti, old buildings and decaying walls. Whatson always uses gray shades as the base of his works and then adds bright colors.

Street artist Ron English typically combines elements of popular and highbrow culture. He coined the term "Popaganda" to describe his style. Above is his collage with Felix the Cat, an American cartoon figure of the silent movie era. The artist has also created his own characters for his art, such as McSupersized, an obese fast food mascot.

British mix media artist Ian Francis draws inspiration from cinema to create "beautiful denizens of a particular media fantasy fueled by sex, death, and celebrity," says his gallery. Often, these figures are semi-naked or intimately interwoven in casual groupings. For Francis, who has an "obsession for internet media and sensational US teen dramas," violence and beauty are inextricably connected.

With her surreal portraits dealing with women's struggles in a male-dominated world, Canadian artist Sandra Chevrier became renowned beyond the street art scene. In the series "Cages," for instance, virile superheroes such as Superman cover women's faces and bodies. Chevrier's art figures nevertheless rebel against the stereotypical roles of the seducer and the victim.

Street artist TankPetrol left Poland for the UK. There he works with different models and often draws iconic female figures. In the work above, he surrounded a woman with a halo that carries a clear message: "If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself."

The British group The London Police was formed almost 20 years ago. They became internationally renowned for their white, round-headed figures called "Llads." After many members joined and left the collective, its two founders reunited to keep creating the paintings. This wall with an astronaut was created in 2014 during the Art Basel Miami art fair.