On the Patrimonialization of Graffiti

Abstract “Graffiti” is not a word that one immediately associates with the concept of “heritage.” In fact, the two are more often than not thought of as antonymic, and yet, as this article argues, we are at a crucial moment in what can be termed the “patrimonialization” of graffiti. Retracing the steps involved in this process of patrimonialization, starting with Raffaelle Garrucci’s study of Pompeian graffiti in the first half of the nineteenth century, this essay surveys the steps that have paved the way for a recognition of graffiti’s significance and of the need for its preservation. Recent initiatives demonstrate a new awareness, expressed in many ways through the work of heritage agencies and individual scholars. This article interrogates the mutations that have led to a renewed conception of graffiti as worthy of scholarly study, preservation, and display, while considering the implications and gains of its patrimonialization.