Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia
Team: Jianwei Li, Yicheng Xu
Instructor: Laura J Kurgan, Juan Francisco Saldarriaga, Anupama P Rao
1. Urban Conflicts in Medellin
Graffiti at the Comuna 13, came from different artists in the world. Street art can be seen in almost every city on Earth. Its raw power and potential for change was intensively represented in Medellin's Comuna 13, as the propaganda of social identity. Comuna 13, once a constant battleground between gangs, narcos, paramilitaries and the government state force, but today you would hardly recognise it.
To explore how graffiti play a role in Comuna 13, we start to use social media such as Twitter, Instagram and to collect comments and images data.
Graffiti at the Comuna 13, came from different artists in the world. Street art can be seen in almost every city on Earth. Its raw power and potential for change was intensively represented in Medellin's Comuna 13, as the propaganda of social identity. Comuna 13, once a constant battleground between gangs, narcos, paramilitaries and the government state force, but today you would hardly recognise it.
To explore how graffiti play a role in Comuna 13, we start to use social media such as Twitter, Instagram and to collect comments and images data.
1.1 Comments
Comments from Local people
Comments from Visitors
These comments are based on collection from social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube interview. In this part, we can see their perception to Comuna 13.
On the one hand, Local people tend to regard it as the slum, poverty, crime, etc..and they are afraid of this place. On the other hand, most of the visitors consider it as an exciting landmark. From their point, we can get the keywords like ”Amazing,””Great way,” “Brilliant tour” etc.
These Cognitive differences between residents and tourists in comuna 13 are also called “Urban conflicts" in Medellin by NAEF, Patrick
On the one hand, Local people tend to regard it as the slum, poverty, crime, etc..and they are afraid of this place. On the other hand, most of the visitors consider it as an exciting landmark. From their point, we can get the keywords like ”Amazing,””Great way,” “Brilliant tour” etc.
These Cognitive differences between residents and tourists in comuna 13 are also called “Urban conflicts" in Medellin by NAEF, Patrick
1.2 Image
The themes of the Graffiti are as diverse as the people that create them from being profoundly political and severe to be fun, satirical and irreverent, but upon closer inspection of these flaking canvases you can see, they are imbued with hope, the chance for change and ability to dream again. For most of the residents, it was impossible to dream, living a life of suffering, terror and unimaginable difficulties. Stuck in a cycle of poverty and gang warfare from which there was no way out.
When we analysis tens of thousand images from Instagram by input hatchtag “Comuna13”. It’s surprising that nearly half of these images posted by people are about graffiti. To some extent, graffiti tour is the first impression of people for this neighborhood which used to be full of crime and violence.
Catergoized by Image's types
This GIF is that we randomly selected 220 images and 97 images of them are about graffiti. What's even more wondrous is that 52 images, which is near half of the graffiti images, are portrait. This makes us curious about the meaning of these pictures.
Does it tell a specific story of history?
Does it bring an underlying or political message?
Whether these faces on the wall are supervising the neighborhood to reduce the crime rate?
Does it tell a specific story of history?
Does it bring an underlying or political message?
Whether these faces on the wall are supervising the neighborhood to reduce the crime rate?
2. The Underlying Message
Bill Rolston and Sofi Ospina indicated that “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.” in Picturing peace: murals and memory in Colombia.
Classifying pictures by hue, we get a legible image database. In this way, we can quickly get pictures with the same theme.
Bill Rolston and Sofi Ospina indicated that “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.” in Picturing peace: murals and memory in Colombia.
Classifying pictures by hue, we get a legible image database. In this way, we can quickly get pictures with the same theme.
Catergoized by Image's Hue
For example, it is undeniable that in blue image sequence a large part of them are graffiti where there are Twins with birds on the shoulders and the Elephants with white flags.
The twins with birds on the shoulders in this graffiti, depict a nostalgic emotion of motherland, Image credit by Yan Kasianczuk, instagram @yanstagram92
Elephants with white flags
https://www.grownuptravels.com/comune-13-graffiti-tour-medellin-colombia/
Getting an insight of the graffiti, Elephant represents strength, wisdom, and the power of remembrance in Colombia. One of the famous murals illustrates three elephants, walking in a row with white flags on their noses. During the siege of 2012, when the military sent in 700 troops to rid the area of violence, some 39 community members lost their lives, which you can see a dead elephant's bones at the corner of the mural. The white flag on their nose reminds them when a grandmother risks her life to get out of her house with a white sheet yelling, "Basta!" (enough), as a great willing and unyielding bravery to fight for peace.
If we look into the past graffiti, it used to be primary texts that conveyed a very Straightforward message to local gangs. For instance, the image below is warning of prohibiting the entrance of taxi and private cars by ELN
If we look into the past graffiti, it used to be primary texts that conveyed a very Straightforward message to local gangs. For instance, the image below is warning of prohibiting the entrance of taxi and private cars by ELN
"prohibiting the entrance of taxi and private cars" by ELN
Panda and Woman, Image Credit by Jordan Adkins
This GIF panda and woman is telling a story that during the operation period the woman’s kids were killed. The facial expression and white flag is showing the desire for peace of the neighborhood.
3. Conclusion
Graffiti and Murals, as a traditional method of self-expression, was widely spread in Colombia. Usually, the character, symbol, and drawings might not necessary relay to political. However, a majority number of graffiti or murals we are now seeing in Comuna 13 speak directly and indirectly relate to the historical violence of this Neighborhood. The local free graffiti course and Graffiti Tour expose those work of Art in a relative niche tourism market. The local residents express themselves through the artwork in a way to articulate the memory of violence. Thus, for instance, “elephant” and “white flag” will be the symbol of memory for the local. On the other hand, that graffiti as an Aesthetic work in the context of Comuna 13, will trigger the interest for the visitor to comprehend and appreciate the message. The message from the visitor will spread over the social media as multimedia format and the message from local will be preserved as social identity. The living condition and social infrastructure of Comuna 13 still leave a lot to be desired, but the graffiti, along with dancing and rap music had diluted the unseen violence and help the neighborhood to regain the dignity.
Graffiti and Murals, as a traditional method of self-expression, was widely spread in Colombia. Usually, the character, symbol, and drawings might not necessary relay to political. However, a majority number of graffiti or murals we are now seeing in Comuna 13 speak directly and indirectly relate to the historical violence of this Neighborhood. The local free graffiti course and Graffiti Tour expose those work of Art in a relative niche tourism market. The local residents express themselves through the artwork in a way to articulate the memory of violence. Thus, for instance, “elephant” and “white flag” will be the symbol of memory for the local. On the other hand, that graffiti as an Aesthetic work in the context of Comuna 13, will trigger the interest for the visitor to comprehend and appreciate the message. The message from the visitor will spread over the social media as multimedia format and the message from local will be preserved as social identity. The living condition and social infrastructure of Comuna 13 still leave a lot to be desired, but the graffiti, along with dancing and rap music had diluted the unseen violence and help the neighborhood to regain the dignity.
Graffiti as a message
