Abstract

GONZALEZ BRACCO, Mercedes. Street art, between commodification and resistance. The case of La Boca (Buenos Aires). Cuad. antropol. soc. [online]. 2019, n.50, pp.125-142.  Epub Dec 19, 2019. ISSN 1850-275X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.34096/cas.i50.5523.

At present, the Buenos Aires City Government has made headway on neglected spaces in the south of the city with policies for public space embellishment and real estate development. In La Boca, the establishment of the “Arts District” seeks to capitalize on the neighborhood’s visual arts tradition to traction businesses through introduction of murals and cultural activities. Facing this situation, a number of social organizations initiated an opposition utilizing the same tools as the Government uses to attract tourists and investors. Through ethnographic work, including field observations, sightseeing tours and interviews, this article looks into the new forms taken by the popular resistance to Government and private developers’ commodification advances.

Keywords : Street art; Commodification; Tourism; Neighborhood associations; Buenos Aires.

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