On Street Art and Public Space in Buenos Aires
I’ve been hopelessly obsessed with the street art in Buenos Aires ever since I arrived. I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the number and quality of the street stencils, wheatpastings, and graffiti around the city. They are often political in nature (see my previous post here), but not always. Some reference special aspects of Buenos Aires’ culture, such as the tango musician pictured above. Many reference pop culture icons (such as Jimi Hendrix, pictured below), while others are non-sensical, abstract, and whimsical. The function of these images is not necessarily to challenge the viewer’s sensibilities on politics, but rather to make them rethink the space they inhabit. These images ask, ‘what is the function of the street in your city?’
In our classes on culture with IHP, we’ve discussed in great length the politics and power of public spaces.
Places do not have single, unique identities; they are not static. Our neighborhoods and cities may have artificial boundaries, designated by politicians as to where one district stops and another begins. We all experience space to be much more fluid. When I cross the border from Berkeley to Oakland (as I will often do in the coming two years), there is no physical difference between one street to the next. Geography is not dictated by our borders; rather the inverse is true.
Space, therefore, is defined by our social interactions. It is this process of people interacting with the physical environment that gives our streets and public space meaning. The physical environment that people build reflects our cultural norms and political processes. This interaction plays itself out in a multitude of ways in cities, from the style of architecture to the abudance of advertisements to the density of the street grids.
Street art, including stencils, graffiti, wheatpastings and the like, also reflects people’s cultural norms. Do they cover it up? Take it off and put it in a gallery? Do they celebrate it? My own biases indicate to me that vibrant street art indicates a healthy amount of participation in the political system.
In Buenos Aires, the streets are not constant; rather, they are in a continuous dialogue, perpetually fluid and changing.
11 Responses and Counting
beautiful stencils. Buenos Aires never ceases to amaze you
Mikey,
Love the stencil pix. The Jesus one is hilarious. They are all so intricate. Anyway, here’s a link to an article that I did about street art in the Mission last month:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/24/18300401.php
This is my favorite quote:
In the Mission, where the lifespan of public art can sometimes be measured in minutes and many remaining Latino families are still reeling from the gentrification explosion of the dot-com era, the iconic Precita Eyes murals present a sort of psychological anchor—a connection with the community’s ancestry and a sign of resilient permanence.
Tre’s beau!
Magnifico!
very nice images!
Neath
hey, nice article! the pictures are awsome too, but i found the article really helpfull in researching for an essay im doing on “the medium is the message” in relation to street art.
emily :)
Hello,
I see from your flickr site that you are affiliated with the IHP. Their website provides many faulty links, and I’d like some more information about the programs offered. I would love to participate in the ‘Cities in the 21st Century’ course. Please advise. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Basho
I was in Buenos Aires for two weeks two and a half years ago and was totally awed by the stencil graffiti. It was amazing and I took tons of photos of them. I appreciate that you’ve posted some of your pictures. Thanks. I now keep my eyes open for stencil graffiti here in the Seattle area and take photos whenever I can. Ciao!
I’m convinced that Buenos Aires has one of the strongest and most inspiring street art scenes — I photographed about 150 beautiful pieces during my three weeks there last month.
Check them out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbdh/sets in the Buenos Aires set. amazing.
??timo ??timo ??timo!! !
parabens… .
[...] Surfing the internet, I have also found inspiration from a San Francisco based artist, Mike Ernst, who hosts a website with TONS of inspirational photographs and ideas for and about public art. the site, http://www.magicalurbanism.com/?p=151 called “Magical Urbanism” captures part of the idea I am working with about creating meaning out of overlooked spaces. Posted by towestcolfaxwithlove Filed in Uncategorized [...]
Where in the city did you see the bandoneon player? I have of been wondering the streets of Buenos Aires for a week now and have seen some really amazing street art. But not this one, which is what drew me here in the first place.
Thank you.