Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Just urban space : street art and spatial justice

Arvidsson, Matilda LU and Bengtsen, Peter LU orcid (2024) p.21-40
Abstract
This chapter presents the notion of spatial justice as a way of considering the relationship between law and street art in a manner beyond the legal/illegal dichotomy. Through a series of empirical examples, it is demonstrated how street art literally takes a place already taken and imposes itself in an already appropriated urban public space. Street art thus ´redefines the space in contestation to law. However, street art is ephemeral and its taking of space is not permanent. Street art points to an alternative spatial definition, one of spatial justice, before – and, indeed, while – withdrawing from the space it occupies. Street art creates a rupture in the lawscape which makes explicit the presence and claims of law, thereby also making... (More)
This chapter presents the notion of spatial justice as a way of considering the relationship between law and street art in a manner beyond the legal/illegal dichotomy. Through a series of empirical examples, it is demonstrated how street art literally takes a place already taken and imposes itself in an already appropriated urban public space. Street art thus ´redefines the space in contestation to law. However, street art is ephemeral and its taking of space is not permanent. Street art points to an alternative spatial definition, one of spatial justice, before – and, indeed, while – withdrawing from the space it occupies. Street art creates a rupture in the lawscape which makes explicit the presence and claims of law, thereby also making the need for law’s other – justice – pronounced. The question of relationality between law and street art which we bring forth in the present article plays itself out as a production of space and spatial justice in an exchange of place-taking, withdrawal and pronunciation, law and street art. Spatial justice, as we perceive it here, is thus a way of thinking about law and street art not simply as polar opposites, but rather as co-dependent and bound together in an ongoing process of oscillation, mutual reinforcement and creativity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
Law, graffiti, spatial justice, street art, justice, art, Banksy, gadekunst, gatekunst, public space, public art, Juridik, gatukonst, graffiti, rättvisa, street art, konst, Banksy
host publication
Urban Creativity : Essays on interventions in public space - Essays on interventions in public space
editor
Hannerz, Erik and Bengtsen, Peter
pages
21 - 40
publisher
Dokument Press
ISBN
978-91-88369-92-5
project
The Urban Creativity Pufendorf IAS Theme
Urban Creativity Lund
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1cb1e888-ff72-4a33-a3f0-9b7c6686c7bb
date added to LUP
2024-07-01 12:37:49
date last changed
2024-07-04 15:31:46
@inbook{1cb1e888-ff72-4a33-a3f0-9b7c6686c7bb,
  abstract     = {{This chapter presents the notion of spatial justice as a way of considering the relationship between law and street art in a manner beyond the legal/illegal dichotomy. Through a series of empirical examples, it is demonstrated how street art literally takes a place already taken and imposes itself in an already appropriated urban public space. Street art thus ´redefines the space in contestation to law. However, street art is ephemeral and its taking of space is not permanent. Street art points to an alternative spatial definition, one of spatial justice, before – and, indeed, while – withdrawing from the space it occupies. Street art creates a rupture in the lawscape which makes explicit the presence and claims of law, thereby also making the need for law’s other – justice – pronounced. The question of relationality between law and street art which we bring forth in the present article plays itself out as a production of space and spatial justice in an exchange of place-taking, withdrawal and pronunciation, law and street art. Spatial justice, as we perceive it here, is thus a way of thinking about law and street art not simply as polar opposites, but rather as co-dependent and bound together in an ongoing process of oscillation, mutual reinforcement and creativity.}},
  author       = {{Arvidsson, Matilda and Bengtsen, Peter}},
  booktitle    = {{Urban Creativity : Essays on interventions in public space}},
  editor       = {{Hannerz, Erik and Bengtsen, Peter}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-88369-92-5}},
  keywords     = {{Law; graffiti; spatial justice; street art; justice; art; Banksy; gadekunst; gatekunst; public space; public art; Juridik; gatukonst; graffiti; rättvisa; street art; konst; Banksy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{21--40}},
  publisher    = {{Dokument Press}},
  title        = {{Just urban space : street art and spatial justice}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}