Team members of the project Art that Protects, phase 2: Networks as strategies for self-protection in the context of urban conflict in the city of Medellín, 2023 have published a new article (in Spanish), under the title “El papel del arte en el conflicto armado urbano en Medellín. David contra Goliat: redes vivas y autoprotección“. It is authored by Beatriz E. Arias López, Laura Jiménez Ospina, and Sandra Benítez Diosa.
The article analyses the scope and dynamics of networking among artistic and cultural initiatives for self-protection in the city of Medellín. It finds that the studied organisations form a non-hierarchical network structure based on political and aesthetic affinities, oriented towards an alternative popular artistic movement. Their links are strengthened through the exchange of knowledge between established and emerging organisations, intergenerational relationships, and collective activities. The authors conclude that these ‘networks of joy’ represent a living movement and symbolise the metaphor of David against Goliath, in which nearly sixty collectives face 380 criminal groups in territories with little state presence. In adverse conditions, these organisations seek to create a cultural, ethical and political alternative for community protection and a cultural counter-offer, especially for the city’s youth.
The open access article can be downloaded HERE.