GRAFFITI – THE ART OF RESISTANCE

Text topic: Culture and Money

Text author: Beсна Динић Миљковић

There is no consensus when it comes to graffiti. The fact that we

balance between considering them art and considering their invasion

of our public space vandalism, tells mainly about our fear of inability

to control the messages they send. But whether consisting of an artist’s

name or a high quality drawing, graffiti messages carry a common

meaning. Following the trail of Monsieur Chat, a graffiti cat smiling

from Paris rooftops at the protestants during the social upheaval of

2001, the French director Chris Marker reflected on these post 9/11

events, reminding us that, just like in 1968, poetry gets born in the

streets. Graffiti initially emerged out of necessity, as a language of those

deprived of other, more conventional means of expression. They serve

a social function by expressing the society’s shared values, instead of

individual beliefs of their creators. By invading our public space they

alter our perception of reality, provoke critical thinking and awake our

social conscience. Regarding graffiti as a mean of communication, this

paper reflects on this phenomenon by analysing different segments of

communication process.