What does graffiti do?

Graffiti differs from wall art because wall art is organized and sanctioned while graffiti is marked by immediacy, spontaneity, and the risk of persecution. Moreover, wall art may take time and care to create, whereas graffiti is quick, requires speed, and anonymity.

During the July Uprising, graffiti reflected a strong sense of inclusivity which highlighted the case of the marginalized and minoritized people in multiple instances. It also called for justice and carried a broader message of liberation.

Banksy suggests that graffiti "comforts the disturbed while disturbing the comfortable". This means graffiti gives a voice and sense of relief to those who feel oppressed or troubled while it challenges and unsettles those in power or are living comfortably.

The power of graffiti stands in its resilience, its persistence as a medium for revolutionary memory, and collective consciousness.