The ecology of surface: Within and beyond communities in transformation through macro-paintings

Abstract

Macro-paintings have become a popular tool used by various actors to uplift marginalized communities in cities of the global South by transforming their physical environments. These actors operate under the assumption that improving the material conditions of these communities will lead to their overall transformation. As a result, communities serve as a focal point in this process, upon which macro-paintings are intended to have a significant impact. In this brief paper, we aim to illuminate the phenomenon of macro-painting by considering them within and beyond the context of a single community. In doing so, we shift our focus away from the traditional interpretations of paintings and instead emphasize their capacity to redefine socio-material boundaries on various scales within the city. Drawing on interviews with artists and actors from different Latin American countries, we analyze the boundaries across different scales of macro-paintings—individual houses, neighborhoods/districts, and the city. Our argument centers on the idea that macro-paintings create a unique ecology, influencing meanings, material aspects, and lives throughout the entire city. This perspective holds broader significance for urban studies, highlighting that seemingly invisible, ostensibly uniform urban surfaces are not passive but exert wider spatial effects. Consequently, scholars must acknowledge and investigate these outcomes.