Lo afectivo es lo efectivo. Art in the affectionate approach of Casa Mía in Santander, Medellín

Abstract

This thesis focuses on how art is used in the reconciliation work by Casa Mía, a local civil society organization that drives change in its neighbourhood Santander in Medellín, Colombia. It develops a theoretical frame building upon Bleiker’s (2001, 2017) notions of the ‘faculties of knowledge’ and the ‘new thinking space’, the work of Cohen (2005) and ‘creative placemaking’, a concept from urban studies. The data for this research was gathered in April and May 2018 through an ethnographic approach using semi-structured interviews, participant observation and a participatory workshop. The analysis responds to the overarching research question, “How does art enable the implementation of the ‘affectionate approach’ (afectivo) to conflict transformation as developed by the civil society organization Casa Mía in Santander, Medellín?” It follows a local approach by first presenting an in-depth understanding of Casa Mía’s approach to peace: the affectionate approach and how it has emerged in the context of Santander in the period from 1994 to 2018. The second part of the analysis identifies key functions and qualities of art that enable the implementation of this approach, using the theoretical framework. It analyses how art functions to engage the different faculties of knowledge to change intra- and interpersonal relationships, starting by the bodily. Followingly, it argues how art allows to access, express and transform emotions. In addition, it discusses how art makes place for creativity and imagination and the significance thereof for personal change. Subsequently, the thesis moves beyond the existing literature by analysing these qualities of art and how they interact in a heart-felt thinking space. Art offers a contained frame for intra-personal reflection where the participant can stay distanced in order to get close. It strips barriers between people so affectionate relationships can develop and transform inter-personal relationships. It argues that art can create a space where meaning is co-created, and interpretations of reality are neither right nor wrong. After this deepening, in a final step the concept of creative placemaking is introduced to discuss the spatial dimension. This shows how Casa Mía uses art to reclaim and destigmatize places. This thesis lays out a transdisciplinary framework with special attention to the local context to understand Casa Mía’s slogan lo afectivo es lo efectivo and to theorize its art-based approach to peace.