Arte Popular
The walls of Buenos Aires are an endless canvas for independent artists, community groups, graffitists, popular protest movements and others to create a striking visual record of the city’s personages, history, experiences and concerns. Giant murals -professionally painted- adorn some downtown buildings, while the voice of the people in political slogans and ad hoc messages from all sides appear and disappear frequently.
Some murals tell the story of the culture and history of a suburb, others celebrate particular personalities, such as Messi, Evita, Nestor or Che. Some are nostalgic, some confronting. There are murals that depict the history of immigration, or commentaries on torture and disappearance during the military dictatorship. Perhaps they function as an aide-de-memoire, an exhortation not to forget, to maintain a sense of dignity and a love for this ‘gran aldea’, the great village of Buenos Aires.
Most exuberant of all are the murals of Tango-related themes: scenes of bandoneón players, dancers, ensembles, caricatures of typical tango subjects: all displaying a sense of enthusiasm and cultural pride.
