I’ve heard many many stories about a city that sounds like a mythical mirage in Chile. The stories usually come from old school graffiti writers turned street artists, turned global painters of the world. I have never wanted to travel so badly just to see urban art and portrayals of political expressions in a city as much as I’ve wanted to visit Valparaiso.
This huge collaboration, titled “Injusticia” (“Injustice”) by Pedro Uilli, Ha Crew, and CuellIimangui in the Barrio del Puerto, criticizes the proposed Public Order Control Law, or as commonly named after its creator, the Hinzpeter Law proposed by Rodrigo Hinzpeter.
The Hinzpeter Law aims to raise punishment, jail time and harsh treatment of protesters.
Last week was the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the Pinochet coup in Chile. This dictatorship took away countless young leaders, political innovation and the right of free speech and assembly. The political repression introduced by this dark historic period in Chile, pushed protesters and everyday folk to voice their oppositions through wheat pastes, political writings on public walls, and later on a fully developed muralist approach was implemented. This mural will be imprinted on people’s consciousness and I am looking forward to seeing more expressions in our cities that can expand awareness on any form of repression. I associate any protest and opposition to the silencing of a whole country; the biggest idea is one that cannot be easily silenced, erased or ignored.
Photo courtesy of CuellIimangui