Another sign on the wall: Graffiti slogans between dissent and post-political dynamics

Abstract

This paper contributes to the debate on the ‘post-political city’ in urban studies. This debate has highlighted that the ‘post-political’ seems now an inherent condition of contemporary cities. However, empirical analysis reflects a more complex reality where dissent in urban space can challenge the idea of a ‘post-political city’ by default. Among the expressions of dissent within urban space, ‘graffiti slogans’ offer interesting insights if contextualised within the post-political theory. To support my thesis, I analyse the case study of Porta Palazzo in Turin (Italy), an urban area undergoing deep urban and social transformations. Drawing on Rancière, on the walls of Porta Palazzo, ‘politics’ and ‘police order’ are constantly intertwined through graffiti slogans created, modified and erased.