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A Call to Art

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Series exploring protest art in Latin America.

A Call to Art: Series 1

A Call to Art: Series 1: Graffiti

Graffiti

21/11/2017

Series 1

BBC Radio 4 - A Call to Art, Series 1, Graffiti

Protest art in Latin America. A journey into the graffiti art of Columbia and Mexico.

Artists at the forefront of Latin America's protest art movement examine the complex social purpose of graffiti art in Mexico and Columbia.

Latin America's protest and socially conscious art. A continent-wide commitment by many artists to social activism makes Latin America not just one of the most diverse art scenes in the world - but also one of the most compelling, with music, visual arts and street art calling out injustice, often in the face of discrimination, oppression and impunity. 

This second programme in the series explores Latin America's visceral and complex street art. Graffiti artists use their access to public space to pose questions and provoke criticism of what the papers are afraid to say - as well as transforming maligned communities into places of colour and pride.

Colombia is coming to terms with a truce after 50 years of civil war while, in Mexico, street artists promote local pride in places like Tijuana that are often seen as merely a trampoline into the US. Both countries are internally plagued by drug cartels, violence and corruption. It's an environment where the street art scene has exploded. 

DJLu, a Bogota native and spray can veteran, explains how street art is "taking the tension and violence to the wall and not to the real arena." But not everyone agrees. Señor Rayon feels that guerrilla groups' slogans are political marketing and questions whether this is an appropriate use of public space.

In a climate of fierce censorship and division in Mexico City, journalist and graffiti expert Cynthia Arvide explains why graffiti can be a "silent yet more powerful protest". 

Producers - Louise Morris, Andrew McGibbon
Film Editor - Nick Romero
Field Broadcast Assistant - Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn
Dubbing Voice - Luís Bonilla
Executive Producer - Sarah Cuddon

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