Street Art and Democracy in Latin America

Description

This book explores street art’s contributions to democracy in Latin America through a comparative study of five cities: Bogota (Colombia), São Paulo (Brazil), Valparaiso (Chile), Oaxaca (Mexico) and Havana (Cuba). The author argues that when artists invade public space for the sake of disseminating rage, claims or statements, they behave as urban citizens who try to raise public awareness, nurture public debates and hold authorities accountable. Street art also reveals how public space is governed. When local authorities try to contain, regulate or repress public space invasions, they can achieve their goals democratically if they dialogue with the artists and try to reach a consensus inspired by a conception of the city as a commons. Under specific conditions, the book argues, street level democracy and collaborative governance can overlap, prompting a democratization of democracy. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Introduction (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 1-12 Analytical Framework (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 13-41 Bogotá: Public Space Between Appropriation and Deliberation (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 43-74 São Paulo: Pixadores’ Public Scream of Hate (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 75-111 Valparaíso: A Tale of Murals, Tags and World Heritage (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 113-148 Oaxaca: Revolutionary Art and the (Difficult) Quest for Democracy (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 149-182 Havana: Going Public, No Matter What (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 183-216 Conclusion: Street Art and Democracy—Lessons Learned (Olivier Dabène)....Pages 217-234 Back Matter ....Pages 235-261