2016
E Z G I V A R L I
T H E M E A NI NG O F ST R E E T A R T
I N T H E Q UE S T F O R D E M OC R A C Y
G E Z I PA R K PR OT E S T S
A ND
2016
E Z G I V A R L I
T H E M E A NI NG O F ST R E E T A R T
I N T H E QUE ST F O R D E M O C R A C Y
G E Z I PA R K PR OT E S T S
A ND
C A R NA T I O N R E V OL UT I O N
Projecto apresentado à s Institudo de A rte, D esign e E mpresaM Universitário, para cumprimento dos requsitos necassários à obtançã o do grau de
Mestre em design e C ultura V isual, realizado sob a orientacã o científica do Prof. T heresa lobo,
Professor A uxilia do IA D E .
O júri
Presidente: Doutor Maria Emília Capucho Duarte
Professora Auxiliar do Institudo de Arte, Desing e Empresa
Vogais: Doutora Maria da Graça Pinti Ribeiro Guedes Professora Auxiliar da Universidade do Minho.
A B S T R A C T
S treet art can often be a mirror of society. It is one of the most important tools to express the economic, political and social conditions of society. Many people’s ideas can merge and recombine on the city walls, and as a result, they can become more than they were as separate ideas.
W ith this in mind, the basis of this research was the role of street art in protests and the relationship between street art and society. B y examining the C arnation R evolution in L isbon and the Gezi Park protest in Istanbul, we recognize the importance of street art in these changing times. W hile those two movements are separated by many years of time, they demonstrate that the overall feelings about protest have remained the same in many ways. One of those ways is their use of street art for political purposes.T he results of the research conducted on this topic have been reflected in this thesis.
R E S UM O
A arte urbana muitas vezes pode ser vista como o espelho da sociedade. É uma das ferramentas mais importantes para exprimir as condições económicas, políticas e sociais da sociedade. Nos muros das cidades juntamMse as ideias de muitas pessoas. E m consequê ncia, nesse conjunto de ideias, o peso das palavras ou desenhos pode as vezes tornaMse maior.
C om esse pensamento, a base desta pesquisa foi o papel da arte urbana nas protestas e a relaçã o entre a arte urbana e a sociedade. A o analizar a R evoluçã o dos C ravos em L isboa e as Protestas do Parque Gezi em Istanbul, podemos perceber a importância da arte urbana nestes dois periodos de mudança. V ários anos separam os dois movimentos enquanto o sentimento global surgindo das protestas permanece o mesmo em muitos aspectos. Um deles é a utilizaçã o da arte urbana no âmbito político. Os resultados do estudo deste tema aparecem na tese.
F igur e L ist Page
F igure 1 “S ubway C ar.” 05.1973”, http://www.shootingfilm.net/2013/01/photographs ... 9
F igure 2 “C riticize elections,” https://firstblogpostenglish1a.wordpress.com/ ... 10
F igure 3 “T he example of protest graffiti,” J ordan, 2005 http://protestgraffiti.blogspot.pt/ ... 10
F igure 4 “U nder the paving stones, the beach,” graffiti from F rench protesters, 1968 outsiderart.tumblr.com ... 11
F igure 5 “Protest graffiti, A thens.” http://www.livemint.com ... 11
F igure 6 R age, flower thrower, by the artist B anksy, http://banksy.co.uk/ ... 13
F igure 7 Stencil for spotlight refugee problems, by the artist B anksy, http://banksy.co.uk/ ... 14
F igure 8 Girl with balloon by the artist B anksy, http://banksy.co.uk/ ... 14
F igure 9 “H uman rights mural,” http://soulofamerica.com... 16
F igure 10 B y J oã o Maurício, Paseo da Graça, L isbon http://www.osgemeos.com.br/pt/lisboaMmural/ ... 16
F igure 11 L isbon / Picoas metro station. http://www.osgemeos.com.br/pt/lisboaMmural/... 17
F igure 12 L isbon / Picoas metro station. . http://www.osgemeos.com.br/pt/lisboaMmural/... 17
F igure 13 “D ay of 25 A pril, 1974” http://www.cd25a.uc.pt ... 20
F igure 14 “D ay of 25 A bril, Na Praça da F igueira” http://www.cd25a.uc.pt... 24
F igure 15 “D ay of 25 A bril” http://www.cd25a.uc.pt ... 24
F igure 16 “W e must protect A bril”, C entro do documentaçã o. ... 26
F igure 17 K id putting a carnation into a rifle barrel, C entro do documentaçã o. ... 27
F igure 18 Mural for supporting farmers, written “A long with agrarian”. C entro do documentaçã o. ... 28
F igure 19 1977, L isbonMB uraca, PS . http://planaltometro.blogs.sapo.pt/13156.html ... 29
F igure 20 1976, L isbonMS ete R ios, PC P. http://planaltometro.blogs.sapo.pt/13156.html ... 29
F igure 21 Mural for celebrating C arnation R evolution, C entro do documentaçã o. ... 31
F igure 22 : In Gezi Park, police violence against protesters. http://hyperallergic.com ... 34
F igure 23 T he picture of Gezi Park commune in T aksim / Istanbul, http://hyperallergic.com ... 36
F igure 24 G raffiti, “E veryday I am çapullung”, http://everywheretaksim.net/tr/ ... 40
F igure 25 Penguin with gas mask, http://everywheretaksim.net/tr/ ... 42
F igure 26 “T he more they spray, the bigger we get”, http://everywheretaksim.net/tr/ ... 43
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1 I NT R O D UC T I O N ... 3
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2 L İT E R A T UR E R E V İE W ... 7
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2.2 &/ 2 M 3 / &342 %%4 !2 4 ...8
6.6.5 'raffit i...8
6.6.6 3t enc il... 56 6.6.7 M u ral... 59 2.3 #!2 .!4 )/ . 2%6 / , 5 4 )/ . ...20 6.7.5 ( ist ory of #arnat ion 2 evolu t ion ... 64 6.7.6 2 elat ionship " et w een 3t reet ! rt and #arnat ion 2 evolu t ion ... 69 2.4 ' %: d0!2 K02 / 4 %34 3 ...33 6.8.5 ( ist ory of ' ez i 0ark 0rot est s ... 77 6.8.6 2 elat ionship bet w een 3t reet ! rt and 'ez i 0ark prot est s... 78 3 H Y PO T H E S İS ... 45
4 C O NC L US I O N ... 46
5 R E F E R E NC E ... 48
6 W E B S I T E S ... 51
1
I NT R OD UC T I ON
“Society has been completely urbanized… T he street is a place to play and learn. T he streets are disorder… T his disorder is alive. It informs. It surprises… T he urban space of the street is a place for talk, given over as much to the exchange of words and signs as it is to the exchange of things. A place where speech becomes writing. A place where speech can become “savage” and, by escaping rules and institutions, inscribe itself on walls.” (L efebvre, H.; 1970)
T he streets are public. R iots can happen on the streets. Protesters are in the streets, and the walls are the containers for their thoughts. 4 he w alls of t he c it y are t he plac es w here id eas bec om e visu al. 7 hen everyone is sleep ing at night , t he w alls are t ransform in g int o a vibrant m u seu m . 4 hey are d oin g t hat w it hou t expec t ing anyt hing in ret u rn. 4 heir goal is t o t ake bac k t heir w alls w hic h have been filled w it h a lot of c om m erc ial im ages t hat d o not reflec t t heir voic es and valu es.
S treet art is the echo of a silent scream of the oppressed. It is also an expression of the daily lives of city people in a city, portrayed on every visible place. Grey streets transform into living street museums full of artworks which express people’s dail y worries about life.
D emocracy is associated with street art, because street art is often used for protests, which began in the quest for democracy. T he different logics of intervention and techniques that characterize street art are currentl y used by a significant number of activists and political groups to express and promote their political ideas, to push their social and political critique, and to counter propaganda.
W e saw a lot of street art emerge during the Gezi Park protests, which began 28th May, 2013 in Istanbul, and during the C arnation R evolution, which began 25th
1.1
PUR POS E
T he aim of this study is to examine street art in the spirit of protests, which began for the quest for democracy. In particular, the study will examine the Gezi protest and the C arnation R evolution.
“T he meaning of street art is a quest for democracy.” T his thesis describes the meaning of street art in social protest movements. On the other hand, it examines the relationship between those two social movements and the role of street art in the fight for democracy. In addition, it explains different forms of street art with examples from different countries.
In the second chapter, we research the birth of the Gezi protest and the C arnation R evolution, and we look at the aftermath of each. T his examines the significance of street art on these protests via art performances made during Gezi Protest and C arnations revolution.
In the last chapter, we evaluate the role of the street art and importance of street art in social movements.
1.2
Q UE S T I O NS
T he thesis title is “T he meaning of street art in the quest for democracy: Gezi protest in Istanbul and C arnation revolution in L isbon”, which encompasses several research questions, such as the following:
W hy do people need to express themselves on the wall?
W hy did the G ezi Park and C arnation R evolution social movements start? How did street art influence those two movements?
1.3
M E T H O D O L O G Y
T he research methods used for this study include literary sources, online databases, article, and documentaries, and web sites.
S T R E E T A R T
L IT E R A T UR E S UR V E Y
D E MOC R A C Y
General Information
IS T A NBU L
INS T A NC E PR OT E S T S C haracteristic of protest W IT H L IT E R A T UR E
L IS B ON
E xamine street art
T he study methods used include “literature survey”, “Instance protest with literature” and “result and evaluation” have been examined under those topics.
T his thesis carried out a literature survey on a wide range of topics related to street art and social movements. In the study of street art, examined the following items: the definition of notion and the significance of street art. R egarding the dimension of social movements: has been investigated the meaning of the notion and explained the relationship between movements and street art.
W ith the help of literature, this thesis provides general information about Istanbul and L isbon, the birth of the protests that occurred in those cities, and how street art was involved in those events.
2
L İ
T E R A T UR E R E V İ
E W
2.1
D efinition of Str eet ar t
T he future of art is not artistic, but urban. Henri L efebvre T he way I look at the landscape is forever changed because of street art. S hepard F airey, 2010
A rt enables individuals to understand society and find their own place of it. W hile taking the societies into consideration, art is a tool of demonstrating different aspects of the society, providing several clues. A rtistic development directl y depends on social development and the structure of social living. A rt determines the values and ideals of the society, and is a part of everyday life. A rt, which is more profound than it is comprehended, develops and changes over time. ( E rbay, 1997).
S treet art is one of the innovative and expressive faces of modern urban culture. Its appears as a urban protest and development of street art could define as a unplanned experience of space. B ecause those images are impression of the creation of concerted experience, values and longing in the city. ( L orri, 1999; 113)
&or ages, art has m et requ irem ent s, has c hanged t he t en d enc y of t he art ist parallel t o t he c hanges in t he soc iet y; in ad d it ion t o t he good , right , and beau t ifu l, t he fac t of effec t iveness has c onst it u t ed t he fu nc t ion of art . 4 he role of art has been d ifferent d u rin g d ifferent period s of hu m an hist ory. ! rt has been u sed as a t ool of grow ing, as an ornam ent , as a c om m u nic at ion t ool for spread ing langu age, religiou s t hou ght , and sc ient ific id eas and as an ind ivid u al need . (Gorsen, 2010)
techniques. S ome important examples are graffiti, stencil, and mural. In addition, those are some of the most important tools in protests; people use the walls to express their view of society.
2.2
F or ms of Str eet A r t
2.2.1 G r affiti
“Graffiti is a highl y visible symbol that the dominant society isn’t completely in control and cannot arbitraril y dictate the terms of access to expressions that give cultural meaning to spaces.”
R ob W einberg, shooting the messenger: R ethinking C onfrontation in the war A gainst Graffiti, 2003
A ccording to T ulin C andemir, Urban which created publics space for the people, a move away from themselves and the proliferation of problems engendered to produce new shapes and different form of expression. Modern urban had broken people each other and alienating them with their complex system. T herefore, the way to express their problems in the society demonstrated itself illegal or legal. Graffiti could be expressed; explain yourself, psychological relief.
Graffiti and Graffito are from the Italian word Graffiato (“scratched”). “Graffiti” is applied in art history to works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. A related term is “graffito”, or “sgraffio,” which involves scratching through one layer of pigment to reveal another beneath it. In ancient times graffiti was carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. ( L aemmermann, 2012) Graffiti and street art
ingredient of street cultures worldwide. A longside political and gang graffiti, the practice of individuals writing their names or pseudonyms on city walls with sprayMpaint first developed in Philadelphia during the 1960’s.
F igure 1 “S ubway C ar.” 05.1973”, http://www.shootingfilm.net/2013/01/photographs
Graffiti has often been used by gang and underground culture in regions where the name of a city identified with art. Minority youth sometimes internalized graffiti as a language for making their voices heard and demonstrating their presence in society. In addition to graffiti, they carried their voice to the streets with music, especiall y hipMhop, rap, and punk music. (K araaslan, 2008)
F igure 2 “C riticize elections,” https://firstblogpostenglish1a.wordpress.com/
F igure 4 “U nder the paving stones, the beach,” graffiti from F rench protesters, 1968 outsiderart.tumblr.com
2.2.2 S tencil
S tencil graffiti a way of painting on walls and signs by using a stencil made of cardboard or another medium. A rtists often use this medium of expression for social and political commentary. S tencil graffiti is associated with political and social issues more than the traditional graffiti methods. T hese messages are often presented through humorous, shocking, or ironic images or words.
A rtists, such as B anksy, have become well known because of their political messages to the world. (UR L 1) B ritish artist B anksy, C anadian painter R oadsworth and A ustralian artist V exta. E ach artist’s exploration of the stencil as a medium differs from the other’s in terms of the sites of diffusion, message and style.
S tencils, much like signature graffiti writing, necessitate few resources for production: a relativel y firm surface, a utility knife, and sprayMpaint. S tencil artists most often utilize cardboard, acetate, metal, wood or plastic covers to create a durable surface for their design. (W aclawek, 2011)
S tenciling is one of the most common street art tactics. A ccording to A nnaW aclawek, B anksy, street art mostl y consists of antiMestablishment, antiMwar and proMfreedom messages, typicall y illustrated with figures of rats, policeman, children, monkeys and soldiers.
T he greatest difference between stencils and graffiti is, of course, visual. S tencils are also legible and thus able to communicate with a greater number of outsiders than signature graffiti. S tencils works, even when made by exMwriters whose objective remains to get their names up anywhere and everywhere, legibly tend to represent overtly fun, political, or thoughtMprovoking messages. (W aclawek, 2011)
S tencil is probably the most popular technique used in graffiti and street art worldwide. T he popularity of preMstenciled art has many different reasons behind it. T he technique provided graffiti artists with several important advantages, most significant being the possibility to easil y reproduce their work, consequently to be more visible, and also to do it quickly in order to disappear before getting caught by the police. Over time, artists started experimenting with multiMlayered cut out stencils to add more colors and illusion of depth to their pieces. T his artistic experimentation resulted in much more elaborate and highly sophisticated stenciled artworks. T oday we take a quick look at some of the world’s best stencil artists who took stencil art to a whole new level, both in terms of aesthetics and messages they are trying to convey. (UR L 2)
F igure 7 Stencil for spotlight refugee problems, by the artist B anksy, http://banksy.co.uk/
2.2.3 M ur al
A mural is a painting done directly on the wall. It comes from the L atin word “murus”, which means wall. Murals often show the concerns, hopes, values, and memories of the community where the murals are painted. (UR L 3)
Murals typicall y cover quite large surfaces. F resco is one of the oldest method of mural painting, in which paint is applied to plaster walls or ceilings. Other common techniques used in mural painting include tempera, oil painting, acrylic painting, and painting using brush, roller or airbrush/ aerosol. Murals have a di fferent purpose, a different kind of effect for people who pass in front of them everyday and notice something in them. T hey are created in public with community background. Murals on the walls giving news about community, and this art cannot think without community. Murals contribute vividly to the character of all streets where they are found.
F igure 9 “H uman rights mural,” http://soulofamerica.com
F igure 11 L isbon / Picoas metro station. http://www.osgemeos.com.br/pt/lisboaMmural/
2.3
C ar nation R evolution
2.3.1 H istor y of C ar nation R evolution
On each corner, a friend In each face, equality Grândola, swarthy town L and of fraternity
On the 25th of A pril, 1974, the Movement of the A rmed F orces (MF A ) signaled the beginning of the Portuguese R evolution by broadcasting the song “Grandola,V ila Morena” by Z eca A fonso on R adio R enascença, saying that this day would be the end of the fascist regime for the Portuguese people. T he New S tate was established by A .S alazar in Portugal and lasted 41 years. It ended in one day thanks to the Movement of A rmed F orces.
T he S alazar regime was consisted of an oli garchy of a few powerful families and their business empires, integrated with state bureaucracy and the higher echelons of the armed forces. C onsequentl y, in the shadow of the oligarchy there was no little room for independent capitalists. Political parties, trade unions, and strikes were forbidden. F urthermore, opponents were randoml y imprisoned and tortured by the disreputable secret police, the PID E . (R obinson, 2002)
In the earl y 1960s, the A frican colonies began to struggle for independence, firstl y in A ngola, next in Portuguese Guinea, and finall y in Mozambique. S alazar’s regime was too poor in material and human resources to cope with guerilla warfare. Interminable conflict with colonies made the Portuguese people tired, and they began to recognize the government’s ruinous policies and actions. (C hilcote, 2010)
In A ugust 1968, S alazar had a stroke and he was incapacitated until his death in 1970. Marcello C aetano took over as prime minister from S alazar in S eptember 1968. A fter this change in prime minister, C aetano attempted several innovations towards liberalization, but; by the earl y 1970s the regime had returned to its usual conservatism and repression. A ll the while, a war was being fought and nearl y half of government’s budget expenditure was going to the armed forces. (R obinson, 2002)
T he Portuguese military, especiall y its junior officers, were under great responsibility, strain, and stress with the interminable colonial struggle in A frica. Many of them had been forced to spend ten or more years in A frica, which disrupted their families and careers. (Manuel, 2010)
A ll night, on 24 A pril, military troops from C aldas da R ainha and S antarem were flowing towards L isbon, and at four in the morning they arrived at the principal strategic points. A ll this has been enough for a coup. (K untz, 1975)
In the earl y hours of the morning, T he MF A took over three radio stations in L isbon and from there they announced that they wanted to arrest Marcelo C aetano, and that they aimed to establish a democracy in Portugal. T he MF A asked the Portuguese people to stay at home and wait for the end of the movement, because armed conflict was not improbable, and they did not want unnecessary bloodshed. (K untz, 1975)
W hile making their morning coffee, the Portuguese people listened to this revolutionary broadcast, and suddenl y they changed their way of the speech and began to use a taboo word: democracy. People considered that if they were using the word “democracy”, who knows what was happening in higher authorities. (K untz, 1975)
T he timing and coordination was impeccable; the A rmed F orces had domination over the situation and there was no resistance. F ortyMeight years of; interminable fascist dictatorship had ended a bloodless coup. T he MF A brought spring to Portugal. (Green, 1976) R evolution clearl y represented a si gnificant break from the past and the emergence of new possibilities with E urope. (Gallagher, 1983)
A t 8 pm the A rmed F orces announced that the regime had been removed and C aetano had been arrested by General A ntonio S pinola. A fterwards, C aetona fled to Madeira with president A merico T omas. Military dictatorships granted political asylum in B razil for them.
D emocracy was getting stronger with many people on the sidewalk. T he A pril captains were explaining that they had ended the dictatorship, arrested the dictators, and that this would change everything. T he next day, would not be the same for the people on the streets of L isbon. (K untz, 1975)
A fter fortyMeight years of dictatorship, Portugal had a demonstration of happiness. T wo generations were not able to walk the streets. However, today on the same streets, fathers and sons were together. W alking, shouting, laughing freel y…
(Mailer, 1977)
Many others forced open the prisons of C axias and Peniche and released political prisoners en masse. T he political police apparatus, PID E /D GC , was dismantled, censorship was abolished, and demonstrators attacked the offices of the regime’s newspaper, a É poca. (V arela and A lcantara, 2014)
Protesters were fighting with passion against the secret police, PID E on the street of A ntonio Maria C ardoso. Protesters were peacefully demonstrating in front of headquarters in L isbon. D uring the C arnations R evolution four people were killed by PID E .
T he C arnation R evolution takes its name from the carnation flower put inside the barrels of soldiers’ guns. T he armed forces demonstrated to the entire world that they would not like to hurt anyone, and the fascist regime had ended without even a single shot. R ed carnations had become the symbol of the revolution. E ven years later, carnations are still the most important symbol for the revolution and its artwork. E ach year on A pril 25
th
F igure 14 “D ay of 25 A bril, Na Praça da F igueira” http://www.cd25a.uc.pt
2.3.2 R elationship B etween S tr eet A r t and C ar nation R evolution
T he C arnation R evolution in Portugal represented the fastest and most comprehensive change in the entire history of the country. In one day, the entire fascist regime was removed from power. F or the Portuguese people, a new page was turned, so they could express their ideas, feelings, concerns, and joys. T hey found a way of the looking at the world through a different window.
Nuno B rito highlights that before A pril of 1974, urban art in Portugal was virtually nonM existent at high risk represented by the total control of information by the political police. B ut within days of the revolution, effusive expressions of joy and liberation were seen on a large scale by an explosion of street art. In just a few weeks, the urban landscape was changed radicall y.
A pril 25 proved to be a turning point for freedom of expression and thought in Portugal, which allowed an unlimited field of creation. T he end of the regime not only implied the abolition of censorship, but also it represented the elimination of a number of taboos against protesting or expressing dissension. (Sofia, 2001)
4 he 0ort u gu ese people alread y knew w hat st reet art w as, sinc e t he w alls of , isbon d em onst rat ed paint in g polic ies. ! ft er t he #arnat ion 2 evolu t ion, c it iz ens and polit ic al part ies began t o paint m u rals w it h all of t he w ord s t hat had been forbid d en: libert y, rebellion, resist anc e, and m any ot her soc ial m essages. (" rit o, 2013)
of reasons to celebrate. A lmost all murals and slogans told the story of freedom in Portugal and the A frican countries. A s Nuno highlighted, Portuguese cities now had new colors: celebration phrases, unity, and claim to a fair and equitable society, freed forever from the fascist regime that dominated Portugal throughout much of the twentieth century.
! ft er t he blood less revolu t ion, flow er seller w om en gave c arnat ions t o t he M &! , and t hey pu t t he c arnat ion int o t he rifle barrel. 4 hat c reat ed t he sym bol of t he #arnat ion revolu t ion. 4 he post er of a kid pu t t in g a c arnat ion int o a rifle barrel (see im age below ) w as ind ic at ion of t he revolu t ion. ! c arnat ion w as u sed for alm ost all st reet art w orks at t hat t im e. 4 he red c olor of t he revolu t ion ad d ed a new vit alit y t o t he w hole w all.
B etween the years 1974 and 1975, some of the mural paintings used a figure of a farmer with a hammer and sickle. A s almost everyone knows, these two symbols (hammer and sickle) symbolize farmers and the proletariat. T he murals and their slogans expressed support for farmers and land reform, and the walls reflected these feelings. W hen we encounter murals done after the revolution, we can see many instances of that sentiment.
F igure 18 Mural for supporting farmers, written “A long with agrarian”. C entro do documentaçã o.
F igure 19 1977, L isbonMB uraca, PS . http://planaltometro.blogs.sapo.pt/13156.html
A s R olf Nagel observes, as always happens in such historical moments, parties and political groups shout their slogans in the public's face to catch the attention, to convince them with arguments, or to appeal to sentiments. B esides innumerable gatherings of people in public squares and streets discussing the events, there was also a massive presence of the military, the authors of the revolution. T heir green uniforms soon joined the red carnation as symbols of the peaceful revolution. It is worth noting that both colors appear in the Portuguese flag. T hus, national symbolism is clearl y visible in the revolution.
In the weeks and months that followed the revolution, some artists were invited to paint collective murals in public places, usuall y in teaching spaces of buildings. W alls so large that it is impossible to recognize which part was painted by which artist assume a unitary character of artistic creation. In a few months, the streets were filled with colors, aphorisms, and political slogans. T he Portuguese people expressed through urban art what had remained silenced over nearl y 70 years of dictatorial repression. (B rito 2013)
S treet art in social protests is one of the most important witness of history and is seen as one of the major sources of revolution. 3t reet art is a kind of m em ory for t he soc iet y. T he accumulated years of persecution were transcribed on the wall in art. F or many years the Portuguese people could not speak in Public, could not express what they are thinking. T he revolution allowed them to draw their feelings on the walls and on the walls, inscribing their memories in art.
F igure 21 Mural for celebrating C arnation R evolution, C entro do documentaçã o.
C apitalism will cut down the tree if it can’t sell its shadow.
2.4
G E Z İ
P A R K PR O T E S T S
2.4.1 H istor y of G ezi Par k Pr otests
“T o live like a tree alone and free, like a forest in brotherhood.”
Nazım Hikmet
T he Gezi Park protests started because urban development threatened the park. Gezi Park, which is in the square of T aksim in Istanbul, constitutes an important place for people who are living in the neighborhood. B etween the concrete masses of the city, Gezi Park is the only place to take in fresh air. A ccording to some environmentalists, the G ezi Park protests were a response to government policies that threatened the park and the lifestyles of people who use the park.
A group of protesters from an organization called T aksim S olidarity kept guard in G ezi Park after bulldozers started to uproot trees in the park. On the 30
th
of May 2013 early in the morning, the police burned down the tents of the protesters in order to disperse the crowd.
F igure 22 : In Gezi Park, police violence against protesters. http://hyperallergic.com
A ccording to Gülcan Işık, social movements, which can be defined as organized communities that engage society and request change from the ruling powers, are ineffective without public support.
T he Gezi Park protest part of a social movement which started in Gezi Park and then spread across T urkey. In fact, the movement was not limited to T urkey. T he rebellion had spread across some cities of E urope and had become a globalized protest.
T he movement was not attached to any political organization. D ecisions were made collectively, and communications were carried out without any leader. It was a unique event that held promise for the future of T urkey. People worked together without big egos. T he power of the movement was incredible and it was very democratic process.. (Ozkoray, 2013)
and clubs which are hard to bring together, including young and old people, students and bureaucrats, feminists and housewives, Muslims and lefties, K urds and A levis, K emalists and communists, F enerbahce and B esiktas supporters.. A ll of them were in the square for the Gezi movement. (Gole, 2013) A ll of them were fighting for freedom in T urkey.
T he first of J une was one of the most important dates of the resistance. More and more protesters began to come to the park after a long night of conflict between protesters and the police. Police had retreated from Gezi Park at noon, and the area was left to the protesters. Gezi Park was occupied by thousands of protesters. T he Ministry of the interior reported that during the Gezi Park protests, 2.5 million protesters had attended from 79 cities in T urkey. In fact, the main reason why this day is important is because G ezi Park became Gezi commune.
F igure 23 T he picture of Gezi Park commune in T aksim / Istanbul, http://hyperallergic.com
T herefore, this was an urban rebellion, a women’s rebellion, a youth rebellion, and a worker’s rebellion. T his was everyone’s rebellion. Probabl y just a few days before, these tens of thousands of people would have never thought that they would exhibit such tremendous solidarity, devotion, sharing, and bravery in the days of the J une rebellion. (A kınhay, 2013
One of the most frightening aspects of the events at Gezi was the state’s brutal (in some cases deadly) employment of police violence against peaceful protestors of the park. (A rat, 2013) T ragicall y, the T urkish medical association stated informed that more than 8.000 people had been injured and 8 people died from police violence.
T he purpose of the protests was to increase participation in civil society, to democratize political practices, and to emphasize their individual identities, rather than pointing formal institutes and capturing political power.
T he demonstrators and those who supported them from their houses, workplaces and colleges represented the true meaning of solidarity. T hey had learned it in the square and had taught it to others. T he Gezi movements ended, but the fire of the freedom was not extinguished from their hearts.
A fter the wonderful days of first two weeks of J une, this class focused their attention on keeping the Gezi spirit and moral alive universalized, rehearsing for the administration of the public by trying to contact the working class with the vast majority of the public. “F orum process that established. (Y ıldızoglu, 2013) and Y asemin Ozdek highlighted that after J une, approximately eighty “Gezi F orums” began to occur in 13 cities of T urkey and this number was increasi ng day after day. In these forums, people talked about the future of the resistance, discussed national problems, deciding for resistance in front of them, formed working groups, and made decisions on various subjects.
A s F uat E rcan observes, the Gezi protests began to protect three to five trees, yet these three to five trees uprooted the routine of society. A ll of those people who were at the square had justifiable reasons to be there. T he explosion of the justification reasons occurred over three to five trees.
au t horit y figu res. 4 he w orks prod u c ed as a reac t ion t o t he ' ez i m ovem ent w ere d iffu sed via &ac ebook an d 4 w it t er all arou nd 4 u rkey.
2.4.2 R elationship between S tr eet A r t and G ezi Par k pr otests
“Why did we become blind, I don't know, perhaps one day we'll find out, D o you want me to tell you what I think, Y es, do, I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.”
J ose Saramago
T he defining characteristic of humour Mwhich is the amusing, satirical approach to social realityM is being critical. Humour is evaluated by its social function, which includes making people question, while making them laugh at the same time, even about subversive topics. T raditions, morals, social systems, and the injustices created by governments are the topics and the essential critical object of humour. (A vcı, 2013)
( u m ou r, esp ec ially d u ring a period of inc reasing oppression, bec om es one of t he pu blic ’s t ools for c rit ic iz ing t he governm ent . / n t he ot her hand , if it alread y exc eed s t he qu alit y of c rit ic ism t ow ard s t he d isc ou rses and prac t ic es of t he governm ent and if t he governm ent is in a c om plet e d isord er, hu m ou r and m oc kery bec om e rat her a w ay of polit ic al c rit ic ism ; hu m ou r exc eed s t he pow er of polit ic al c rit ic ism .
)n ot her w ord s, hu m or c an express soc ial c rit ic ism u sing am u sem ent , inst ead of at t ac king. 7 hen w e exam ine ' ez i 0ark 0rot est s w it hin t his fram ew ork, t he popu larit y and t he int ernaliz at ion of t he m ovem ent begin t o m ake sense.
contempt, and the surest way to undermine it is laughter.” A sense of humor removes the oppressive burden of the past and becomes a source of liberation from fear.
In the days of Gezi Park protest, many people in T urkey created a new language of resistance, which blended humour with other forms of protest. Y oung people in the Gezi Park protests used this new form of resistance to create their own way of resisting. T hey criticized the oppressive attitude of the ruling powers with humorous language. Not only did they criticize, but they also revealed the game of the ruling powers. Protesters replied with laughter and an increasingl y tough attitude. A s Nietzsche highlighted, “W e call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.”
In fact, such preemptive strikes against environmentalists played a significant role in transforming the demonstration into mass protests. Many people went to the park and camped there, and many humorous graffiti emerged during the protests, reflecting the relationship between the police state aspect of the neopatrimonial regime and the protesters. (K onak, 2013)
A ll done art by protesters, according to Ozay Goztepe, the past was indiscriminate embrace all cultures, it undergrounds art to popular art, revolutionary culture to street culture, arabesques to the Hollywood series. R esistance contained the past and therewithal, they produced new product the beyond of the past.
A S treet has become a street museum by the graffiti produced during Gezi Park protests. S outh A frican activist and conceptual artist K endell Geers, who was in Istanbul at the time for the launch of his new exhibition, identified the Gezi protests as a monumental artistic event: “T his is the biggest installation, the biggest biennial that ever happened. It does not need a curator or any other people to dictate from above. It’s a grassroots movement.” (Uncu, 2013)
A s Marjolein ’t Hart observes, humour and laughter can serve as a powerful tool in social
exposing the arrogant and aggressive rhetoric of humour functional state power that they use it as an effective method for reducing ridiculous. (T aycan, 2013)
D uring protests, the prime minister said the following about the protesters who wanted to save trees at Gezi Park: “I’m telling you obviously and clearly that we will not allow a few Ç apulcu / looters to come to the park and to provoke our citizens by misguiding them.” A ccording to T ugba and Oguzhan T as, after E rdoğan used the word “çapulcu / looter” to insult protesters, they began to use it as a badge of honor in referring to themselves.
4 his epit het u sed by t he 0rim e M inist er t o c rit ic iz e t he resist ers w as being rid ic u led , and t he c onc ept bec am e an elem ent of hu m ou r rat her t han an ad jec t ive of hu m iliat ion. S oon, the walls were filled with slogans containing “çapulcu/looter”. S ongs were written with the sentence, “E veryday I’m çapulling”. A ll of the protesters loved this concept. (Macos, 2013)
Graffiti produced during the protests reflect the happenings on the streets. In other words, the characteristics of the resistance and the resisters could be read from the walls. A dditionally, the people and/or the matters targeted by the resistance could be traced by looking at the graffiti content.
. egat ive im ages su c h as gas m asks, w hic h are u sed t o be prot ec t ed from t ear gas, t he m ed ia w hic h ignores t he prot est and w at er c an non w ere c aric at u red t hrou gh feed ing from popu lar c u lt u re prod u c t s and soc ial m em ory. One of the important stencil works was of a penguin with a gas mask, which refers to the T urkish media, which did not show violence of the police against protesters. C NN T urk showed a documentary of penguins instead of covering what was happening in the streets during one of the most heated times of the protest. T he penguin with a gas mask stencil, which clearly criticized the T urkish media, spread rapidl y via social media. F urthermore, the role of social media, especiall y F acebook and T witter, is undeniable. E ach second, the news of what was happening on the street was transferred via F acebook and T witter. People who did not have F acebook or T witter access opened an account to have all the news and to share information. S ome people were not comfortable because T witter and F acebook became important communication tools throughout the resistance. Prime minister R ecep T ayyip E rdoğan labeled T witter as a ‘ trouble maker’. S oon after E rdogan’s statement, a stencil started appearing on the streets of Istanbul, featuring the twitter bird wearing gas mask.
exposing the police brutality to national and international audiences. “S ell out media! ” was among the popular mottos, referring to the mainstream media’s prioritization of private financial gain over the public interests and their proximity to the A K P circle. (K onak, 2013)
F igure 25 Penguin with gas mask, http://everywheretaksim.net/tr/
provid ed by t he t ec hnology. )t has bec om e a d igit al soc ial m em ory an d an im port ant herit age for fu t u re generat ions. (A rtun, 2013).
W hen we talk about the Gezi Park protest, two photos come to mind: one was a woman wearing a red dress who was standing in front of police violence; another one was a woman wearing a black dress with opened arms and standing fearlessl y in front of water cannons coming from T oma. B oth of these pictures have become very important symbols of the resistance. T hose symbols were portrayed in stencils and posters on the walls. A ll of those works were seen by millions of people via social media. E ven if those images are deleted from the walls, they became the symbols of the resistance, which can never be erased from memories of people.
F igure 26 “T he more they spray, the bigger we get”, http://everywheretaksim.net/tr/
to the city walls, streets, and roads with stencils. T he girl in red in the stencil image is considerabl y larger than the police as it symbolizes the growth of the resistance, as the police violence got rougher.
If walls could express themselves, art would be their voice to express all the society’s feelings. In fact, the walls became the biggest witness of what was happening during Gezi Park protest. W alls of every places in the city have become the best source to understand everything. T herefore, the Gezi Park protests are integrated with street art, and they cannot be considered separatel y. A lthough many different symbols could be seen in the Gezi protest, the best symbol of the protest could be the image of a tree. T he protesters had become a single fist, as strong and sweeping as the trees they stood under and fought to preserve. Protesters stuck together in solidarity as a meaning of green.
3
H Y PO T H E S İ
S
Revolutionary events generally take place in the street. D oesn’t this show that the disorder of the street engenders another kind of order? T he urban space of the street is a place for talk, given over as much to the exchange the words and signs as it is to the exchange of things. A place where speech becomes writing. A place where speech can become ‘ savage’ and, by escaping rules and institutions, inscribe itself on walls.
( L efebvre 2003: 19)
S treet walls are open for everyone, because walls don’t belong to anyone. People choose to express their feeling, their fears, and their fights on to walls. In this way, they are able to share their ideas with a lot of people. E ven people who are not in a position to speak publicly in society can find a way to express themselves by writing on the walls. W alls will give a kind of freedom in this way.
T wo different social movements appeared in two different countries at two different times in history. T hese two countries (Portugal and T urkey) were each fighting for freedom, and their people tried to make their voice heard with street art. T he people spoke out against ruling powers by making art on the walls. E ven after many years, we are still able to hear their voices through these works of street art.
4
C ONC L USI ON
C onclusion, the walls are a vocal witness to what happens in a city, like an audience reacting to a speech. S treet art could be seen as the voice of the walls. It is a voice, which tells the stories of people’s daily, lives, and consequently, it has become an integral part of society. W e have seen the significance of street art on society in several important social movements. One of them was the Gezi Park protest, which began on 30th
of May 2013 in Istanbul; the other was the C arnation R evolution, which began on 24th
A pril 1974 in L isbon. S treet art played an active role in both.
T he Gezi Park protest was an unprecedented popular uprising in T urkey against the oppression of the ruling government. D uring the Gezi protest, street art was one of the protesters’ best weapons. T urkey found different languages and forms of resistance than before. T urkey had seen this form of resistance in other periods of its history in different way. In the 1970s, T urkey had political problems and economic difficulties that brought about a surge of street art. Political bickering and fighting during that period were reflected on the city’s walls with posters and slogans that represented the society’s problems.
S treet art became active again in Istanbul during the Gezi movements. E ach response to the government was reflected on the walls. Protesters had created a new language of resistance, blending humor and street art. T oday, art provides a different image of Istanbul, which often makes people feel better about their lives. People who are living in Istanbul’s grey streets can enjoy of many streets illuminated with street art. S ome local and international organizations are proposing activities in the streets to make people know more about street art and move it to different spots.
Nowadays, even in times of political unrest and economic crisis, most of the street art is done to beautify the city. S ome of the best instances of street art can be found in L isbon. More recentl y, artists have introduced graffiti to old people, and they have tried to create street art together with them.
T he events that happen in the streets create the symbols of a resistance, and those symbols inspire street art works. T he main purpose of Gezi Park protests was to protect trees in the park. T herefore, the tree was the most important symbol of the resistance, and it was turned into many works of street art. T he C arnation R evolution demonstrated the same thing. On the day of the R evolution, carnation flowers were sold by women in the streets. One of them put a carnation into the barrel of a soldier's gun. T hat image became the symbol of the revolution, and even years later, the carnation is often used for street art that speaks about the revolution. W hatever the cause of the resistance, it inspired art.
T hese examples highlight the fact that under authoritarian regimes, people are more likel y to produce politicized street art. W hen people cannot find any place in the political sphere to express themselves, they use the arts in creative ways to protest. T hat’s the reason why we could say that the organization level of the Portuguese society in 1974 was higher than that in T urkey during the Gezi protests. W hile the art of the Gezi Park protest also became politicized, it was more individual.
E ven in different countries, which have their own culture, language, and history, the walls remain the best space for the people to express themselves freely. T he walls are where the people’s screams can be heard. It is a means of expression, showing the ideas of individuals living in the society. T herefore, the walls are a reflection of the society. T he language of the walls is street art.
5
R E F E R E NC E
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W E B SI T E S
UR L M1, ht t p://im l.jou .u fl.ed u /projec t s/fall09/gu rrey_s/info.ht m l, 20 M ay 2016
5 2 , -2, ht t p://w w w .w id ew alls.c h/10-st enc il-art ist s/ , 20 M ay 2016
5 2 , -3, ht t p://m u rals.d em olliart .c om / , 21 M ay 2016
7
A NNE X E S
Gezi Park protests
F igure 2. “T he memory of resistance”, Istanbul, 2013 (http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com)
F igure 3. Istanbul, 2013 (http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com)
F igure 4. “A ntarctic resisting”, Istanbul, 2013 ( http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com)
F igure 6. Istanbul, 2013 (http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com)
F igure 8. Istanbul, 2013 (http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com)
F igure 10. Istanbul, 2013 ( http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com)
C ar nation R evolution
F igure 12: Mural with hands showing victory sign, C entro do documentaçã o.
F igure 14: Mural with design of family around military, C entro do documentaçã o.
F igure 16: Mural with sun design, star, hammer and sickle, world and graphics, C entro do documentaçã o.
F igure 18: Mural with the PS flag, with the phrase "S ocialism in freedom, C entro do documentaçã o.
F igure 21: Mural with drawing man and woman holding the hammer and sickle, C entro do documentaçã o.
F igure 23: Mural detail with drawing man the smash with a hammer, the word "C apital", C entro do documentaçã o.
