What does it mean to appropriate public space? How do words change their impact depending on where they are spoken or written? How does expressing oneself, dancing or playing in a group in the street bring urban space to life?
All these questions were put to a group of children living in Málaga as part of an original workshop entitled "Manifestation ludique". The aim of this creative workshop, devised by artist Amaia Martin, was to get tomorrow's young citizens thinking about the impact of collective action in urban space.
Participants reflected together on how words and gestures take on meaning in the public space. They asked questions about the issues that affect them, individually and/or collectively, about their day-to-day concerns, about the difficulties of finding water or housing, about how to live in the city, or about the values that bring them together and their concerns about the world around them.
They questioned the scope of their messages: do they express a claim, a personal feeling, an observation about their environment? In this way, they became aware of how the same message can be perceived differently depending on the context in which it is expressed.
Based on these reflections, the workshop continued with the writing of slogans and drawings to create banners reflecting their messages. During a long march through the streets of Málaga, they brandished their creations all the way to the Art Explora boat, making their voices resonate in the public space.