Claudio Riga-Department of Anthropology, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12835/ve2024.2-189
Abstract
This article proposes an analytical framework that complements the well-established anthropological focus
on the agency of art objects by shifting attention to their desire. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in
Comuna 13, Medellín (Colombia), it explores how the desire of local street artists—rather than their agency—
is distributed through their artworks. Conducted in collaboration with the artistic collective Casa Kolacho,
the research involved participation in their graffiti school, interviews with artists, and close analysis of
selected murals. The findings suggest that these artworks express a desire to connect past, present, and
future: preserving memory, celebrating transformation, and envisioning new possibilities. By foregrounding
desire over agency, the article offers a temporal lens through which to understand how art shapes lived
experience and collective imagination in contexts of urban change.
Keywords
Street Art; Comuna 13; Desire; Agency; Futures
