ABOUT
SAM’s (street art maps) is a project on the search of distinct street art phenomena that are by definition deeply bound to the location of their origin - what are the mechanisms of a place or city, it’s sociological parameters, the political backgrounds of artists and therefore the crucial topics and conflicts in need to be adressed by artistic expression? Sam is exploring public space as the venue where citizens can receive, perceive, compare and influence each other’s political views and ideologies. Therefore, words and symbols that are displayed in the public are able to communicate a range of messages and should be seen as a open form of mass media.
The investigation and analysis is conducted not only through the lens of a camera merely collecting graffiti-pieces but rather with the technique of mapping and other research methods. With a background in the field of architecture our spatial exploration of the city as a complex construct of interrelations is centred around the assumption that street art is able to tell us a lot about the patterns, divisions and logic of a studied urban site.
- How do people cohabitate?
- How do they use street art as a tool of anymous communication or protest?
- Against whom to they rebel and with whom do they cooperate?
- What are their slogans of protest and their slogans of solidarity?
- That are the artistic tools, materials and the supply routes used?
- What legal framework exists and how is it implemented?
- Finally, how are those aspects manifested in the urban scope?
We believe that asking questions is usually more important than answering them. Besides this scientific interest we are well aware that the documentation of pieces with all the variety in technique, style and statement and to share them with a global community is something beautiful and worthwhile. Street art, especially when manufactured in an underground spirit is something ephemeral that is vanishing all the time. Particularly if we consider a capitalistic, whitewashing, market-driven renewal process of the city. Therefore SAM’s should also be seen as a global archive enriched by anyone with interest.
This project had its origins in a study trip to Havana, Cuba in May 2015 when we (Lisa Ungerhofer and Silvester Kreil) opted for a research topic spanning the entire city to investigate graffiti and its distribution in the different, urban areas of the city. Based on the found graffiti and street art, very interesting questions arose which were subsequently repeated and worth to further investigate. While the project started from scratch, it was clear from the beginning that this website should provide the basis for deeper spatial research in the realm of street art and critical-urban-expression. Of course, Havana should not remain the only city in which we investigate more closely, examine patterns and actors and use maps to discuss and present the distribution, reasons and open questions. The main interest is to investigate cities and urban areas that are outside the well-documented ‘western world’ and whose street-art phenomena have remained under the radar. So far the website has two different methods of displaying and categorising the work collected and uploaded. Elaborate research of a city that has a narrative or shows specific discoveries and patterns will be presented directly on a map that offers interactive storytelling and the possibility to accurately mark a location. We named this option ‘Story’.
The other approach is a minimalistic and fast upload of documented graffiti-street art pieces into a so called ‘Chapter’. We understand ‘Chapters’ as a raw, digital gallery that can easily be clicked through and only gives a rough idea of the possible location.