A Mural in Sethmacher Square: Tensions Between Heritage and Public Space

Abstract

The case of the city of Valparaíso, as a world heritage site, has called for a growing interest in tourism and a debate between its protection and participation in public spaces. In this article, we analyze the scope of protecting a material heritage in tension with the dynamic nature of urban culture and the use of public space from an ethnomethodology perspective. The focus of the study is a mural that emerged as an expression of urban culture in La Matriz neighborhood. From the point of view of patrimonial politics its relevance is questioned in relation to the urban space. The result is that while declaring heritage centers promotes economic improvement for disadvantaged neighborhoods, social life in motion is repressed by the protection of an infrastructure that seeks to freeze a past.