Meet the Artists Literally Changing the Face of Medellín

The Editors

 

A new generation of artists is modernizing Colombia’s national identity as a hub of art and design. These community art collectives are collaborating with locally-led tour companies like True Colombia Travel to promote the art of Medellín's youth to international visitors, whose interest in Colombia continues to grow, thanks to placement in “must travel” lists and increased direct flights from North American cities.

As Dezeen reported from Medellín Design Week earlier this month, art and design—from public escalators to street art—have played a critical role in Medellín's evolution as one of the world’s most innovative cities, driving tourists to discover its unexpected corners. True Colombia Travel’s True Graffiti experience, which explores the art and design scene in Medellín’s barrios (neighborhoods), is curated and led by Klan Ghetto Popular (KGP), a locally-run youth collective that offers free classes in graffiti, breakdance, and poetry to at-risk youth—a way to “pay it forward.”

The trip takes travelers through the streets of Comunas 1 and 3—rarely seen by outsiders—with KGP’s artists as their guides. The tour spotlights the neighborhood’s graffiti and murals, and the guides share their own stories of growing up in Medellín amid its changing social fabric—and how art is playing a pivotal role in redefining their city, and their own futures.

As Medellín designs a new identity, in large part thanks to the bold take of today’s youth on art and design, the geographically diverse and culturally rich nation of Colombia continues to evolve as a destination ripe for discovery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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