Reading Reflection - Creative Activism and Art; Three Myths of Migrant Literature; Berlin as a Migratory Setting

“All examples [images] show interventions in public spaces to sensitize for and resist against social exclusion in the revanchist city where belonging is reserved for the economic wealthy, the politically adapted, and the socially accepted.” (p. 181)

            Belonging as well as identity is hard to acquire especially in areas where the normal socioeconomic status of the of the people in that area renders some people invisible or unimportant. I liked the images the article presented because they were painted to remind the citizens of the community about the marginalized groups that live there who are impacted by certain political or religious rules, but otherwise ignored. It is also interesting because while these people are being seen through their art, I can only imagine how the city officials and wealthier people in the neighborhood do not want the artwork there “vandalizing” the streets.

“The development of urban art was a powerful instrument to represent the political opposition.” (p.175)

            I like this article because it shows the way people can use art as a form of peaceful protest. The images shown in the article are also beautiful pieces of art. And while to many people the work is considered graffiti, people are able to use something beautiful, even though it has a negative connotation, to fight back against the oppression they experience as a marginalized group.

In response to Myth 3 stating, “An author who doesn't write in his mother tongue enriches the language he has chosen to write in.” Saša Stanišiç responds, “for me, writing itself is a foreign language.”

            Maybe for purposes outside of this class, I like this response because writing itself is a skill many people have to master, and most people cannot just sit down and write something amazing, but instead they have to think about what they are trying to say, and the best way to say it. To be able to express yourself eloquently through writing is like being able to speak another language. Maybe writing, like art is helpful for people to become visible to the public who otherwise would not listen to their story.