At times of both authoritarian and democratic rule, Latin American cities have witnessed the outpouring of unconventional artistic expressions. Therefore, the thesis is positioned in an area...Show moreAt times of both authoritarian and democratic rule, Latin American cities have witnessed the outpouring of unconventional artistic expressions. Therefore, the thesis is positioned in an area overlooked by academic work: the region’s multifaceted history of political defiance. Specifically, it explores the political impact of urban artistic practices in the popular struggle to end the impunity in the Argentina of the 80s and 90s. The thesis argues these practices have the potential to problematize the institutional narrative regarding what truth should be told about the last military dictatorship. As such, the thesis presents the close reading analysis of “silueteadas” and “señales viales”. These are two different modes of street art that were developed in Buenos Aires urban landscape during the last year of the dictatorship and the post dictatorship period, respectively. After providing the necessary historical background as well as the theoretical overview in relation to the intersection of arts and politics, I explore the ways in which the “silueteadas” and “señales viales” succeeded to publicly punish the perpetrators of state-supported terrorism.Show less
