Writing National Identity on the Wall: the Geração Foun, Street Art and Language Choices in Timor-Leste

Abstract

The generational divide that has emerged in Timor-Leste since its return to independence in 2002 is perhaps one of the most significant challenges to the on-going nation-building project. The consecutive occupations of Timor-Leste by Portugal and Indonesia have left distinct cultural-linguistic heritages for the respective generations. As a result of its cultural and linguistic association with the most recent foreign occupier, members of the Geração Foun (the ‘new generation’) have experienced cultural exclusion and significant under-representation in the new nation-state. This article explores the ways in which a group of artists from this younger generation has utilised street art as a public medium of expression to identify with, and simultaneously critique, the dominant culture of the post-independence state established by the older generation. The artists identify as members of the Geração Foun and their work highlights and represents grievances that have been expressed by many as a result of the generational divide in the post-independence state. These articulations are expounded by the language choices made by the street artists in their work.

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