In Panama City, graffiti is everywhere and it is quite informative and telling of where the public consciousnesses lies regarding certain key topics. Matters such as women’s rights, continued canal construction, and love are commented on through the art of graffiti.
In walking through the city streets, you come across much construction. High rises and skyscrapers dominating much of the new landscape.
However, there are two designated “old” parts of the city that serve to remind Panamanians of their past and history. Those areas are awash in graffiti that acts as billboards of consciousness.
Many of the old buildings have sealed doors while those buildings await their fate. Will they be renovated or will they be demolished for something new to be put in its place? The graffiti in the building above serves to remind one that there used to be an entryway into the at building. that although sealed, there was a door into a building filled with life. In a twist, the spelling of the word scrawled across the door above is “daor” which can be used to mean “slave.” The building now serving the interests of the future and perhaps not the past.
Below is another door graffiti set where there is an interesting somewhat imposing mustached entity with a phrase to the side that says “ama con locura siempre” [always love with wildness -craziness or with abandon]. The past may be sealed off and abandoned but you can continue to love with a different level of abandon.
Categories: Culture, current events, hispanic, History, Travel
Having never been to Panama (only on the boat going through the CANAL), I am really not surprised about so much graffiti on the old buildings. This happens in all cities that can’t keep up with the economic blight that has attacked so many. But, as with all “art,” (I consider graffiti another form of art), “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” (someone with lots of imagination came forward with that one eons ago).
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🙂 absolutely. I love graffiti in all its forms. hope you are having a grand weekend
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I’m doing my best to accomplish that. Besides taking care of some blog business and petting my cats, I’m immersed in a book that sent me into howls of laughter a little while ago. Thanks. Hope same for you.
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The art, the artist and the city walls that host them are part of the hidden culture that many love to criticize; yet they provide a certain perspective to the soul of the city that is not capitalist or commercialized…………
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