Public Project
The thriving street art of Caracas
Street art consisting of graffiti, murals and tagging has always been the tool of the people. A kind of ephemeral art designed to be seen by everyone without any kind of barrier. This is what has historically made it a powerful political tool, one that has been used for messages of opposition and support.
Along with graffiti by young artists expressing their art through tags and messages of political opposition, a new age of sanctioned street art commissioned by the government is seeing a resurgence in the capital. Going beyond promoting state ideology through in your face slogans and stenciled images, the government and local organizations hire artists to elevate the city image among first and foremost its own increasingly dissatisfied citizens. These works of art that take hours and days to complete, coexist with more obvious and immediate political tags. Spaces for street art to thrive are being supported, spaces for taggers and graffiti artists to freely practice their craft as well as specifically designed areas for either beautification or political messaging.
Art meant to “beautify” and attract attention to “barrios”, neighborhoods deemed poor and in disrepair, are funded through local cultural organizations or government programs. This element of cultural penetration into different neighborhoods is an element that’s repeated around the world. Moving the element of street art from an act of rebellion to an act of beautification. Either way, it’s still a tool used politically.
Artists like Badsura, a young artist from Caracas, choose to concentrate on the cultural and social elements of the country. These artists, whose works are supported by the government, have an intent significantly less radical in its political aspirations, a more mellow cultural approach that seek to directly affect the daily life of its citizens and their relationship to their surroundings.
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