Whether aesthetically or politically inspired, graffiti is among the oldest forms of expression in human history, one that becomes especially significant during periods of social and political upheaval. With a particular focus on the demographic, ecological, and economic crises of today, this volume provides a wide-ranging exploration of urban space and visual protest. Assembling case studies that cover topics such as gentrification in Cyprus, the convulsions of post-independence East Timor, and opposition to Donald Trump in the American capital, it reveals the diverse ways in which street artists challenge existing social orders and reimagine urban landscapes.
List of Illustrations Introduction: Political Graffiti in Critical Times
Andrea Pavoni, Yannis Zaimakis and Ricardo Campos PART I: STREET ACTIVISM AND VISUAL PROTEST IN CONTEMPORARY CITIES Chapter 1. A Periegesis through the Greek Crisis in Five Graffiti Acts: Cartographic and Photographic Dialogues
Konstantinos Avramidis and Myrto Tsilimpounidi Chapter 2. 'Whatever I Can Do to Put Those People in Jail': Crisis Turns Spanish Artists to Street Activism
Jonna Tolonen Chapter 3. Walls of Resistance in Critical Times: A Reflection on Political Graffiti and Visual Protest in Southern Europe and Latin America
Yiannis Zaimakis and Leonidas Oikonomakis Chapter 4. Between the Workshop and the Streets: Graphic Activism and the Student Movement in Chile (2008–2018)
Javiera Manzi, Matías Marambio, Isidro Parraguez, María Yaksic Chapter 5. Anti-Trump Graffiti and Street Art: A Case Study of Washington, DC
Jeffrey Ian Ross Chapter 6. Vandalising the Commons
Andrea Pavoni PART II: SOCIO-CULTURAL DIVISIONS AND ANTI-GENTRIFICATION PROTESTS Chapter 7. Berlin Political Crises, Street Art and Graffiti from 1945 to 2019
Betty A. Dobratz and Lisa K. Waldner Chapter 8. Writing in a City in Crisis: Stencil Graffiti in the Old Town of Nicosia
Pafsanias Karathanasis Chapter 9. Le Charme Discret de L’Anomie: Contested Spaces and Surfaces in Via Zamboni, Bologna Anna Giulia Della Puppa PART III: POLITICAL TURMOIL AND REGIME TRANSFORMATION Chapter 10. ‘25th April Always, Fascism Never Again’: The Post-revolution Murals in Portugal Cláudia Madeira, Cristina Pratas Cruzeiro and Ricardo Campos Chapter 11. Street Art in East Timor: Creative (Re)Constructions of Identity in Times of Crisis Catherine C. Arthur Chapter 12. Reigniting the Revolution: An Interview with Abu Malek Al-Shami Hend Alawadhi and Julia Tulke Afterword: A Public Crisis / A Crisis of Publicness: Political Graffiti in the Post-coronavirus Age Rafael Schacter Index
Ricardo Campos is a researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences (CICSNova, Nova FCSH), Portugal. His books include Transglobal Sounds: Music, Identity and Migrant Descendants.
Reviews for Political Graffiti in Critical Times: The Aesthetics of Street Politics
“This compelling, timely volume makes a significant contribution to the growing body of scholarship on graffiti and wall art and does so in a way that puts such scholarship in critical conversation with geography, urban studies, sociology, political theory, and social movements research. An engaging and important book—highly recommended.” • Jeff Ferrell, author of Crimes of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality. “An interesting contextualization of street art and graffiti. It nicely frames ‘crisis’ as a condition that creates space for the production of street art and graffiti and provides motivation for their production but can also bring about a more authoritarian reaction. The conceptual framing is strong, and the diversity of topics is a primary contribution to that strength.” • Tyson Mitman, York St John University
