Street Art in Buenos Aires Argentina

November 25, 2013 Kristance Harlow
Street artist painting

The sunny disposition of Buenos Aires, Argentina — where there is literally constant sunshine, parties until 6 am, and every greeting includes a kiss — can blind visitors to the country’s darker chapters. There is a dramatic layered history of homelessness, poverty, missing people, and untimely deaths.

Street art exploded on the scene when Argentina’s Dirty War ended in the early 1980s; all the bottled up emotion was released and the people of Buenos Aires let the colors of their emotions paint over the city. Street art has since become commonplace in the city, where graffiti tagged walls mingle with murals that decorate nearly every public park. It has become such an integral part of the architecture and landscape that often people walking by a mural appreciate its vibrancy, but forget that the art is how the invisible is being made visible.

By looking at four street art projects, we can see how art is bringing light to the darker issues of Buenos Aires.

Milo Lockett is an Argentine painter who uses the process of creating street art as a tool of social change. He calls his work social art because each project involves a community and while he initiates and guides each art project, the final product is only possible because of the efforts of many. Whether bringing together kids to paint murals in their school or directing workshops for indigenous groups in the north, his work (both in theme, practice, and place) is meant to bring a message of love and hope.

This an excerpt, continue reading on AtlasObscura.com.

More Reading
Domestic Violence / Mental Illness Stigma / Politics

Stop Blaming Mental Illness for Gun-Related Violence

April 29, 2022
Consent and Assault / Research / Sexual Assault / Victim Blaming

Alcohol and Rape Prosecutions: Consent, Intoxication, and Memory

Human Rights / Social Justice / Traumatized Minds

How to Be Less of a Jerk – Part 2 – Admit Racism

Human Rights / Social Justice / Traumatized Minds

Be Less of a Jerk 101: Racism Crash Course

Anthropology and Culture / Social Justice

Everyone is Biased, Even You Have Bias

Leave a Comment





Join the mailing list.

No spam and we will never share your information.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. The numbers listed here are the commonly used numbers for the stated region, the numbers can vary greatly depending on where you live. If you don't know your country's equivalent to 911, this wiki page and The Lifeline Foundation have comprehensive listings.

Americas

911

The Americas

Europe

112

Europe

Africa

112 & 999

Africa

Asia

112, 999, 110

Asia

Oceania

112, 911, 999, 111, & 000

Oceania

Find help for a crisis by texting, calling, or chatting online with these free crisis organizations. Looking for one outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

Crisis Text Line
Text: “HOME” to 741741

Suicide Lifeline
Text: “ANSWER” to 839863
Call: 1-800-273-8255

Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453

The Trevor Project
Text “START” to 678678
1-866-488-7386

These online and international resources may help you anywhere you are located. Looking for local support outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

DV Support Abroad
Call toll-free worldwide
1-833-723-3833

I'm Alive Virtual Crisis Center
Live chat with trained volunteers

Crisis Connections
24/7 crisis support with interpretation in 155+ languages