Clean Helsinki
@ 11:58 am Are graffitis art or vandalism?
The question has been debated in Helsinki as in many other cities. Some ten years ago the city adopted a policy banning any kind of graffiti be it murals or tags and started a no-tolerance policy so that most graffiti is cleaned the same day. They were joined by the public transport providers - VR trains were washed the same day they got painted. A lot of guards were also employed - and if youare caught the financial punishmentsare in the tens of thousands - compare this with the woman who got a hysteroctomy due to misfiled lab test and was compensated 2000 euros - she’d gotten more money if the doctor had a felt tip pen and signed her…
I have a number of photos of graffiti in Paris I took on my trip in May. I travelled from a banlieu to the centre and just took photos of the sometimes quite artistic pieces. Coming back to Helsinki I “noticed” that really the “no tags” policy has made any graffiti - even the artful pieces - just nonexistant. Oh well, the young peoples opinions are definitely not as divided on the issue, there was a counter-demonstration to the anti-graffiti movement’s theme day meeting, and the police was not amused. I guess they were practicing for the riots when the HEX collapses and the Espoo yuppies demonstrate for cheap gas. Another policy being implemented in the city is a definitely more stringent policy against demonstrations.
Meanwhile fear and loathing in the Helsinki City continues while the different city deparments are in each others’ throats over a proposal for a “legal graffiti” area. The situation has escalated into such hostility, a few city council members were denied entry to the city-organized 10-year anniversary of the anti-graffiti campaign. Which bickering really does seem quite silly. I wonder if the upcoming elections will provide the city with new brains.
I can understand both sides’ arguments, but really I don’t have any strong opinions either for or against the issue. On the one hand I do get annoyed some kids scribbled four-letter words in our freshly painted staircase - but then again some of the graffiti I managed to get pictures of in Paris, and murals all over the world do have something else in them than just vandalism.
Cliff notes: overkill over sprayed paint
Yeah, I hate tags and graffiti. I am a Finnish dude living in New York City. As you probably know, this city is riddled with graffiti. I can understand that it is a form of art, but I still don’t approve of public buildings, walls, staircases being used as a canvas to display this kind of art. Maybe the solution is to specify certain areas — specific walls — where these taggers can display their art?
Comment by Erik — Wed, Sep 17th, 2008 @ 6:51 pm
Well that is the proposal of the Helsinki youth board to have “legal” walls - but the “stop tagging” project says that it’ll undermine the “zero tolerance” policy.
BTW I remember my first time in the 1980’s NYC was full of graffiti - then in the 1990’s after the facelift projects I was amazed seeing the subway pristine, the onece saw a tag and then came up two subway guys, one with green and other with the beige paint in the bucket and painted it over - and it hadn’t been there the previous day…
How is NYC these days - still never asleep?
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Sep 17th, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
Phil…It appears to me that this website is under constant denial of service hackers ,who are determined to disrupt this site so much you will lose all the people who have been enjoying your website since you started.
It sucks that these A-HOLES have a personal mission to destroy the best English language blog by an American in Finland because they hate
freedom of speech….SHAMEFULL…SATANA PERKELA!
Comment by infinndel the jenkki dogg — Thu, Sep 18th, 2008 @ 12:25 am
I agree, this site has had many disruptions over the last few weeks. I am also waiting for your next post Phil, though your guest bloggers are good.
Comment by Karhu — Thu, Sep 18th, 2008 @ 12:57 am
At last we can see some open discussion about the zero-tolerance anti-graffiti campaign!
I don`t think a social issue that should be dealt with such “black and white”-manner even exists, and I`m sure graffiti is definetely not one.
Letteing the “zero tolerance” go doesn`t mean allowing some kids to tag someones private house or anything like that. And alot of people are thinking like theres nothing between poorly tagged historical buildings and absolute zero tolerance.
I don`t see how a designated graffiti area wouldn`t work, if the society otherwise enforces a strict attitude towards graffiti done in wrog places.
Like, you can`t go play golf in a mall or someone elses yard either, but it`s ok to do it in the golf course. And since golf is the sport of “establishment” and graffiti just the opposite, couldn`t making graffiti “official” help it get rid of the rebel roots, which the conservative seem to despise? That might even help the future graffiti generation to let go of illegal graffiti: the possibility to paint legally could make the risk of getting huge fines not worth it.
Comment by JHJ — Thu, Sep 18th, 2008 @ 10:08 pm
Turku is actually planning on having legal graffiti walls.
Comment by Hank W. — Fri, Sep 19th, 2008 @ 12:06 am
It is really very simple. IF YOU DON’T OWN IT, DON’T PAINT ON IT!!!!!!!!!!! I have lived in Chicago, Miami and Boston, Graffiti everywhere. It is a total lack of respect, I have seen some very creative and artistic murals that I stopped to look at but at the same time I know that my apartment manager didn’t approve it and we all end up paying for the clean up. Designated areas are not the answer either, Graffiti is a “damn the man” activity, it takes the thrill out of if it if it’s legal. The kids who would do it in the legal area will not be the same kids that paint the rest of the town. The penalties should be tough and dramatic, enforcement would be a different issue all together. If you want to paint something, try something you own.
Comment by Summer sucks — Fri, Sep 19th, 2008 @ 8:30 am
I hope that someone in the gov’t knows the difference between “real” (arty) graffiti and tagging. The former is cool by me, the latter is a blight whose perps should be shot on sight. I exaggerate, but only a bit.
I also read that the city wanted to stamp out postering, which is just plain foolish. Posters tell me about upcoming gigs and protests, and not incidentally improve the appearance of building sites (and traffic light control boxes too).
But I’m really sick and tired of tagging. Done by a bunch of bratty two-year-olds who want to smear their sh*t all over town. What gives? Compensating for their puny schwantzes? Go smear your sh*t somewhere else. Bah humbug!
Comment by v.i.lenin — Fri, Sep 19th, 2008 @ 12:20 pm
Yes, banning posters in the spirit of “graffiti zero tolerance” was totally ridiculous. For example some “ventilation booths” (or who know what function those things have..) at the corner of old bus station allways had posters torn out “to keep the city clean” but they allways left behind a surface with poster shreds all over. And that didn`t look clean at all. Then along came new posters, soon torn off, shreds left..
Posters don`t really have nothing to do with graffiti: they are messages from active people who are creating their own, independent culture to add some colour and life to their city. In their words Helsinki cit officials are encouraging art and culture, but it seems only when they can have corporate sponsors and ad revenue. (Remember those benches with poems from a telecom company?) It`s really a shame that grassroot independent culture, initiated by the people themselves is often not only ignored, but often even discouraged.
Comment by JHJ — Fri, Sep 19th, 2008 @ 12:38 pm