Political wall murals in Colombia
I was in the Colombia in November 2015 and, on the basis of research I carried out there, published an aritcle on the political murals there along with Sofi Ospina: 'Picturing peace: murals and memory in Colombia', Race and Class 58(3) 2017: 23-45 (with Sofi Ospina). The abstract is as follows:
The painting of murals and graffiti is a widespread and well established
practice in Colombia. Most of the artwork is not directly political.
However, a significant number of murals speak directly to the political
problems of the society; to the protracted violent political conflict and the emerging peace process in Colombia. They articulate the memory of violence and represent the demands of victims for acknowledgement, reparation and justice. That articulation varies through different regions in Colombia, depending on the balance of forces between guerrillas, former paramilitaries and the state. The phenomenon of mural painting represents the meeting between victims’ agency and activist art in Colombia.
See also:
The painting of murals and graffiti is a widespread and well established
practice in Colombia. Most of the artwork is not directly political.
However, a significant number of murals speak directly to the political
problems of the society; to the protracted violent political conflict and the emerging peace process in Colombia. They articulate the memory of violence and represent the demands of victims for acknowledgement, reparation and justice. That articulation varies through different regions in Colombia, depending on the balance of forces between guerrillas, former paramilitaries and the state. The phenomenon of mural painting represents the meeting between victims’ agency and activist art in Colombia.
See also:
'Wall murals, conflict and war: preliminary thoughts by Bill Rolston: A conversatorio held by Rodeemos el Diálogo at the University of Los Andes,19 October 2015' - https://rodeemoseldialogo.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/wall-murals-conflict-and-war-preliminary-thoughts-by-bill-rolston/
Gwen Burnyeat, 'The Lettered City: Political Graffiti in the Nacional University', November 2, 2015 - http://lab.org.uk/the-lettered-city
Steven Navarrete Cardona, 'Los murales son lugares donde se disputa la memoria', El Espectador 4 November 2015: http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/cultura/los-murales-son-lugares-donde-se-disputa-memoria-articulo-597155
Nuestra Agenda, Canal 2, Cali, Colombia: interview regarding murals and peace processes in Northern Ireland and Colombia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51ZJWxTh0sQ
'Murales para dignificar la memoria', El Espectador 25 November 2015; http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/nacional/murales-dignificar-memoria-articulo-601585 (with Sofi Ospina)
'Memorias de un Conflicto: Entre el cuerpo, la imagen y la música', Bogotá 2015; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0PltT_O9o8
The photographs below appear in the article; all photographs have been taken by me.
Mampuján, mural displaying the history of conflict in the village.
Gargantillas, commemorating the massacre of local young people (detail).
Calle 26, Bogotá, memorial to murdered Unión Patriótica members and supporters.
Universidad Nacional, Bogotá: ‘Let’s remember’.
Medellín, ‘Military intervention never again’.
Medellín, commemorating Operación Mariscal.
Barrancabermeja, memorial to Camilo Torres and Luisa Delia Piña.
Barrancabermeja, memorial to murdered union officials, Manuel Gustavo Chacón and Fermin Amaya.
Mocoa, in memory of women casualties.
Mocoa, ‘Where are the disappeared?’
Toribío, indigenous identity and resistance.
