I mean, if I'm going to write about the art of graffiti, I should use a quote expressed via graffiti, right?
When I arrived in Bogota, on my way from the airport to my hotel, I noticed a ton of street art…everywhere. Along the highways and on the sides of buildings. It wasn't just the typical tags and symbol graffiti but beautiful murals.
I asked some people at my hotel about the art (it was that noticeable) and one of the workers said, “Yeah, graffiti is a thing here. They offer tours to learn about it.”
Well, I had no idea but sign me up!
I decided to book a walking tour in hopes of learning, understanding, and appreciating street art just a little bit more - and I hope you will too after this post. I booked with Capital Graffiti Tours. I heard they were the best.
Diego was our tour guide for the day. He is a local street artist (actually all the tours are given by a street artist) and we got to see some of his work along the way.
Diego first explained the difference between street art, graffiti, and tagging. I also pulled some information from the internet as well to explain the differences.
Street Art:
Uses many styles and techniques: murals, stencils, installations, and even sculptures. It usually conveys a message and has political or social undertones. Street art is generally more accepted by the public and authorities, especially when it is commissioned or sanctioned. It is often considered a legitimate form of artistic expression.
Graffiti:
Graffiti refers to writings or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place. It's often seen as an artist’s self-expression or marking a territory. Graffiti is typically stylized lettering. It’s not as widely accepted by the public and is typically viewed as vandalism and/or is illegal in some cases.
Tagging:
Tagging is a basic form of graffiti where the artist writes their signature or pseudonym quickly with spray paint or markers. The tag is typically written in cursive or a distinctive font to the tagger. The primary purpose of tagging is to mark a presence, claim territory, or gain recognition among other graffiti artists. It is often seen as a way for graffiti writers to establish their name or alias. Tagging is viewed as basic and the least artistic form of graffiti.
The entire tour was spent looking at art in public spaces and discussing the history, the artists, and our interpretation of the pieces. It was quite fun and I learned a ton. Below are a few of my favorites. Feel free to have your own interpretations. That's the great thing about art, it stirs up a little something different in all of us.
The first mural we stopped at was actually a piece that Diego had worked on. It was commissioned by Lidera La Vida. The title is Plant Leadership, Harvest Dignity. It was made by seven artists in about two weeks and was completed in January 2020. The art shows the culture and history of the Indigenous people and the connection with the local food grown in Colombia. The details of each area of the mural have deep and profound meanings. Along with those meanings, the location has an important significance as well. It is located on a wall outside of the government office that hasn’t been the kindest to the Indigenous folks. It's a daily reminder to the decision-makers working in the building of where the Colombian culture all started.
This next piece was painted by the artists @sapoperra and @fefacox. This represents Immigration and “No one is illegal. There is strength in unity.” The young girl is wearing wristbands from Colombia and Peru and the calligraphy is a design from Brazil.
Look closely at the next photos. I cannot find the artist who tagged this building but Diego told us he did it with a roller brush while standing on top of the building. This is how you earn “street cred.”
Sadly, this building sits empty because the developers ran out of money and everyone who invested lost all of their contributions as well. It's one of the tallest buildings in Bogota.
This next mural is painted on the side of a salsa nightclub. It was painted with a brush by Ela Rincon who has become very well-known in the street art community. Profound Love depicts the woman drowning her sorrows in her drink while the band plays on.
This next one was my favorite because of the story Diego told us about a nine-year-old boy on one of his previous tours.
Diego said when he asked the boy what he thought of this mural, he turned to his parents and said, “See, that's what you do. You won't let me see the world through my own eyes.”
Art…even nine-year-olds get it.
Mural by @sakoasko.
Dylan Cruz was an 18-year-old high school senior who was killed during a protest demanding better access to education. He was set to graduate days after he was killed.
You can read more about the 2019 situation, here, but the basics are that he was marching (unarmed) in the protest and was shot by a member of the riot squad team. Unfortunately, the riot squad was not honest in their reporting of the situation but a street camera from a local convenience store proved what really happened.
A street has been named after Dylan and a local artist made a mural of the member of the riot squad.
Below is the mural of the man who shot and killed Dylan. The man was never disciplined for his actions and is still on the riot squad. A local supporter of the man has covered up his ID number that was on his hat.
The next mural is about a block long and has many meanings and interpretations. Again, it mostly speaks to the locals and Indigenous people who are the backbone of the country. Our timing was interesting because a group of workers were working on the building in front of it and then took a break. The food vendor was serving local food made from many of the foods we had seen in other murals along the way.
If you look closely, behind the seated workers, there is a man with binoculars painted on the wall. He represents the boss keeping an eye on the workers. Art within art.
I loved this section of the mural by @juegasiempre. I found it very powerful. The pineapple grenades. The men shooting machine guns but hearts are the bullets. Guns making the dollar signs. A tic tac toe board made of guns and targets. War is expensive and nobody wins.
The below art piece is a representation of who the first two Colombians were thought to be (like Adam and Eve were in the Bible). This mural has a deep meaning. The man left her to go explore Colombia and never returned. She was heartbroken and has emerald tears (remember from my previous post, Colombia is known for its emeralds). There is also a snake and river intertwining them which means transformation.
This mural was actually on the side of my hotel. It is also made by @juegasiempre and is a representation of the four regions of Colombia through the local people.
Through the local government, artists have been approved to add meaningful murals along the highways and major roads.
We stopped by a local art studio where many of the artists work on the designs for their next big piece. Capital Graffiti also offers an experience to teach you how to make your own street art at this facility.
Below is another piece by Diego on a garden wall at the art studio.
After the tour, Diego recommended a cute coffee shop in the neighborhood…and just my luck, they allowed dogs.
Here is one last interesting story that Diego shared. Of all people, Justin Bieber sparked a huge controversy regarding the graffiti community in Colombia. Sadly, a young man named Diego Felice Becerra was murdered (in the back at close range) by police while spray painting some graffiti but when Justin came to town, he had a police escourt to spray paint a marajuana leaf and the Canadian flag. This sparked a huge debate as you can imagine and changed the art community in Bogota forever. Read about it in detail, here.
I enjoyed this tour and it gave me a new perspective on art. It opened my eyes and to not be so judgemental about the way someone wants/needs to express themself. I've always enjoyed murals but haven't been the biggest fan of tagging but now I have a better appreciation and understanding for it after this tour. Thanks, Diego!
Much love & gratitude from Colombia! 🇨🇴 Namaste 🙏
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Amazing! ❤️❤️❤️