On 8 July, the GRAFSTART interdisciplinary research working group held its regular meeting. The session featured a presentation by Zosia Kais, who introduced for discussion the art project “KPI Wall” from the campus of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.In addition, the speaker presented photographs of murals located on the university’s buildings, shared the stories behind their creation, and explored their symbolic meanings. With regard to the “KPI Wall” project, Zosia proposed a series of research questions to the scholarly community intended to stimulate further reflection on urban wall art practices, including:
- Where is the boundary between graffiti as a transgressive practice and decorative urban design?
- Can the reproduction of murals on plastic panels be interpreted as a form of “soft censorship,” even when the visual imagery itself is preserved?
- How important is direct bodily contact with the surface in defining graffiti?
- Can we meaningfully speak of “graffiti without the body” as a distinct category?
- If a work is intentionally designed for permanence, does this contradict the logic and nature of graffiti as a social phenomenon?
- Can graffiti function as a legitimate pedagogical method without losing its critical potential?
During the discussion, participants opened up new perspectives for understanding graffiti and street art as potential pedagogical and therapeutic tools. Particular attention was given to the role of art-based practices in addressing the challenges of emerging adulthood among university students, facilitating their adaptation to the university environment, fostering an internal locus of control, strengthening their sense of belonging within the university space, supporting identity formation through place, and encouraging the discovery of personal meaning.
The discussion also raised questions concerning the aesthetic status of such art projects, as well as issues of their legitimation and preservation.
Overall, the meeting proved highly productive and laid the groundwork for further collaborative research and scholarly inquiry within the international research group.
