The Museo Cielo Abierto San Miguel is about a twenty minute metro ride from downtown on the yellow line. The “museum” is a neighborhood of social housing that has been transformed by a collection of murals. The murals line the north and south facades of the buildings facing Av. Departamental and Tristan Matta one block north. The surrounding area is visibly a much lower income neighborhood than the other neighborhoods we’ve been to in the city. It’s interesting how a low-income neighborhood has put itself on the map, per se, by investing its time and effort into public art.
On our way there, a man asked us if we were going to Cielo Abierto, and we told him we were. He gave us exact directions and walked with us a ways. I found it interesting that we were immediately noticed as not belonging to the neighborhood and that the murals had gathered enough attention that people who lived there were used to visitors. I’m currently in a class focusing on how art and culture can help improve the quality of living in cities and one thing that I kept thinking about was how the murals had changed the neighborhood. Of course the residents have these great pieces of art to call their own, but many of these people aren’t living in the best conditions. While we were there, I almost felt obligated to find a local shop to buy something as a way to give back to the neighborhood, however most of the places had closed already. I think it is an issue that needs to be addressed when thinking of places like this.
This project is very reminiscent of Quartier Etats Unis in Lyon that I visited last year. It was also a large section of social housing that had become worn down over the years. The residents and municipality decided in order to entice people back to the area and improve the poor quality of the buildings themselves, they would commission a set of murals. The murals there tell the history of the city and the Etats Unis development. The San Miguel murals represent a more eclectic mix of messages and styles. My favorite was one that seemed to capture the spirit of the city of Santiago and it also cleverly incorporated a shack in front of the mural wall. Other murals took inspiration from other cultures and some even had messages like workers’ rights. The murals definitely had a great impact on the space and have become a unique trademark for San Miguel.
The murals are located on the previously blank facades facing the street
This mural utilizes the shed in front as another surface to paint on as if it was one, uninterrupted mural. This mural is a showcase to Santiago as a whole.