Berkley Center

The first thing that struck me about the hilly seaside town of Valparaíso, Chile was the arte callejero, or street art that speckles the city with color at every turn. Entire sides of buildings can be covered in sprawling images of Valparaíso scenery, hummingbirds, elaborately decorated figures, and men with Medusa-like hair, to name a few. The creativity is limitless, and the skill is striking and profound. The Porteños, or people from Valparaíso, are very proud of this street art. It is especially unique to the city due to the high number of young people and the presence of several universities. Indeed, street artists are very respected here and overall have a good relationship with the city. There is always a tradition of formal talks initiated by the artists when they want to paint on the wall of private property. The owners usually welcome this endeavor because the street art is recognized as a type of city beautification, and simultaneously helps the artist become more noticed in the art community. Some artists such as Charqipunk (who is known for beautiful paintings of hummingbirds, as seen in the picture attached) and Inti Castro have gained worldwide fame, and have gone on to spread their artwork in Argentina and as far away as France. There are also groups of artists, such as La Brigada Ramona Parra, which couple muralism with social messages, such as equality in education and a voice for all. In this way, not only is Valparaíso’s street art beautiful, but it is also socially relevant.

However, juxtaposing these beautifully tattooed streets is the ugly stepsister: garbage and graffiti. Valparaíso may very well be the most beautifully painted city I’ve seen, as well as the most littered. Walking anywhere in the city is like walking through a minefield of street dog feces and last night’s dinner. Trashcans are often absent from the streets, and recycling is almost unheard of. One of my professors mentioned that there is no culture here of keeping the city clean. There are no programs in school devoted to city clean-up or sustainability, nothing like the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle programs that are omnipresent in the United States. There is not a clear answer as to why, but my best guess is the level of education of the city’s inhabitants.

A telling clue can be found in Valparaíso’s wealthy neighbor, Viña del Mar, which is characterized by quaint beaches, wide, tree-dotted avenues, and is the tourism capital of Chile. There are dozens of universities between the two cities, but it's well-known that the wealthier and more educated flock to Viña. It is not very surprising, then, that in the wealthier town, there are noticeably more trashcans on the streets, and more recycling initiatives. Granted, these initiatives are not at the level of those in the United States by any means, and I’ve been told by my professors and host family that this is mostly due to municipal politics. Urban conservation and cleanliness simply isn’t a priority on the agenda.

There have been some initiatives to protect the street art in Valparaíso, but this does not necessarily mean the area is immune to urban garbage. Part of the city (but not all of it) is protected as a UNESCO world heritage site, after a corporation was able to buy its way to changing Valparaíso’s historic architecture. While this protective title bodes well for many of the old buildings, and local artwork, it also means that disintegrating parts of this area must go through countless hoops to be refurbished.

For now, what’s left is a confusing juxtaposition. How can the Porteños be so proud of their local street art and yet so apathetic when it comes to urban cleanliness and conservation? As with many similar issues, the local culture and history tell the story. Yet after talking to many locals, I know the people of Valparaíso yearn for a cleaner, more eco-friendly city. It remains to be seen if Michelle Bachelet’s liberal government will finally prioritize this issue. But as for now, Porteños and tourists alike are left admiring beautiful murals while simultaneously having to dodge the presents left by the neighborhood dogs.