Photographer Juancho Torres tours the streets of Comuna 13 in the once notorious city, capturing the graffiti and murals that adorn buildings and walls.
Twenty-five years ago, Medellín was the most dangerous city on earth, but now tourists explore itscomunas (slums).
San Javier, or Comuna 13, has been revitalised. Art projects have led to the appearance of murals and graffiti on nearly every street corner.
Over the years, the authorities have invested in cleaning up the area, improving education and transport, and creating community initiatives.
Medellín is now home to spaces for art, poetry and drama, as well as public libraries and an ecological park.
The city’s bleak past seems far away as tourists join walking tours to view street art.
Between 1990 and 1993, more than 6,000 people were murdered annually in Medellín, and not just in the slums.
Skeletons are painted on a wall at the top of a slide in Comuna 13.
Local government has been actively involved in the Medellín is Painted for Life project, employing artists to paint murals.
The themes explored in the street art are diverse, ranging from serious and political to fun and satirical.
Medellín’s walls have become a canvas to tell stories of the city’s past, when gangs and drugs ruled the streets.
Comuna 13 and the city as a whole still face problems, but residents believe the situation is improving.
