Public space as a place for the dispute of power

Abstract

Public space is a place of constant negotiation, a stage for the power struggle that establishes the limits of coexistence – rules and boundaries that do not always coincide with the ones that regulate private space. Since graffiti and street art are forms of artistic expression in public space, they contribute to that negotiation in distinct ways whether they are developed freely (and, in most cases, illegally), or as a response to institutional commissions – often made by public entities. The difference is especially evident in how power is exerted – from the spontaneous decision that arises from the artists themselves to the rules of the contest, or institutional commission, that are determined by political decision makers or representatives, according to the politics they wish to implement within their territories.