Arte y Cultura en procesos de transformación de entornos conflictivos. La Comuna 13 de Medellín

Abstract

The collective action and resilience of Comuna 13 in Medellín, Colombia, after the armed conflict and drug trafficking, that positioned the neighborhood as the most dangerous and violent place in Latin America, has been detonated by a public intervention that improved the access with escalators. Around this event, an artistic movement by community participation has emerged, which through mural art as a non-verbal communication tool and its a high symbolic value, has modified the collective imaginaries and has mitigated social problems, also as a consequence of the improvement of economic conditions due to the tourist attraction unleashed. In this type of process, media dissemination plays a significant role as an integral part of the globalized culture that capitalizes on the cultural singularities for tourism and the system of mass consumption and that, however, have benefited those involved with an improvement in their self-perception and self-esteem.