Graffiti in Public Spaces : An Analysis of Graffiti in Umeå’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Tunnels

This bachelor thesis studies graffiti in pedestrian and bicycle tunnels in the city of Umeå exploring thematic messages and how these relate to the physical and social characteristics of the surrounding space. The study uses a qualitative analysis approach with a combination of methods namely Panofsky’s iconographic image analysis and Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis in conjugation with each other. Material and data used in the study were collected through field visits to 41 tunnels, during which 979 graffiti instances were documented through photography, on-site observations and field notes. The analysis identified four main themes: emotional expression, political messages, place related identity, and disorder. Results from the analysis show that graffiti is most frequently used to express personal emotions and identity, followed by political and place specific messages, while content associated with disorder was less common. Patterns in the thematic messages vary depending on the tunnel’s location and function, with emotional and political graffiti being most prevalent in areas near educational and recreational facilities. The study concludes that graffiti in pedestrian and bicycle tunnels functions as a spatial and social form of communication and the messages in them reflects intentional acts that engage with the dynamics of public space, identity, and visibility. The findings in the study contribute to a deeper understanding of how visual expressions shape and are shaped by the environment which they are created in.