The first phase of the Art that Protects project documented the place of artistic and cultural initiatives developed by community-based organisations in the city of Medellín in the landscape of nonviolent self-protection. Issues such as legitimacy, permanence in the territory, and the commitment to socially engaged art appeared as key elements to understanding the self-protective character of these initiatives. In our investigation we found, firstly, that violations are not produced on the basis of isolated categories such as gender or age, but by a combination and superimposition of different social factors; and secondly, that the network of relationships and alliances between artistic and cultural organisations is a key strategy that allows them to generate sustainability and “armour” in the face of violations. More information about Phase I of the project is available here.
These findings will be further explored in the second phase of the project, in order to identify the type of networks that have been formed, how their exchanges take place, and what collaborative strategies they use, and to understand the effects on the self-protection of communities in the context of the urban conflict in Medellín from an intersectional reading of social vulnerabilities.
Research Team
- Beatriz Arias López, Universidad de Antioquia (principal investigator)
- Adriana Diosa, Cultural corporation for development Arlequín y los Juglares
- Freddy Giovanni Pérez Cárdenas, Cultural corporation for development Arlequín y los Juglares
- Sandra Maryori Benitez Diosa Cultural corporation for development Arlequín y los Juglares
Project Outputs
Time line of artistic and cultural organisation in Medellín, Colombia (source: results of Art that Protects, phase 1)
