One thing I don't understand is people complaining about graffiti on trains and walls but they couldn't be bothered a bit by ads being everywhere in our daily life actively and literally trying to manipulate everybody's thoughts and actions. But it's legit because that access to your brain is bought with money.
@pawlowa I think the crux of it is that graffiti challenges people's perceptions of authority. But it's messed up that people seem to be fine with being manipulated by adverts, but have something against artwork.
@MichaelBall This is the thing. I don't want to discuss aesthetics. I don't like most graffiti aesthetically but I love how people just take that space without being concerned about who owns this wall or train and who decides what we see there.
@pawlowa yeah I appreciate the intent behind it, even if I don't end up liking the piece itself.
I'm in two minds about tagging though. In the UK tagging has been associated at times with violent gangs claiming certain areas as their territory. Not so much into that.
@MichaelBall That sounds rather offputting. In Germany there are kind of graffiti gangs, but it's really just about the pieces, doing stunts like covering a whole building in one night or placing your tag on trains in like 10m². But there is no violence behind it, it's rather like a playful illegal sport.
I also like it when I come to a new place and I can see which political groups are active there through graffiti. It gives me a lot of safety.
@pawlowa yeah I definitely agree it's a great way of getting a sense of the politics of the area.
Unfortunately one of my experiences of that was seeing swastika graffiti when I was staying in Bulgaria. I didn't feel so safe then.
@MichaelBall Yeah, not only for feeling safe but also for being aware of dangerous areas.
Either way, graffiti is a great way to gain some orientation, it gives the physical space another whole new level of social and symbolic interaction.
