The "'Axes of Evil'"

Traveling through the traffic-congested “‘axes of evil,’” the Wynwood Art District spelled out a message that resonated a local yet universal idea. “Give a Wall Street Banker Enough Rope and He Will Hang Himself.” If drivers risk an I-95 crash for a glimpse of this display, then the artist has done his job. While some put this under the category of graffiti, this borders on political propaganda. What group has more of an association to economic issues than the locals? This message targets wealthy mobiles and exiles who believe they claim the city.

As the vehicles move in and out of the lanes, the message does the same. Though shocking, how many people have the courage to notice and act upon such social inequitability? Choosing to place this message in I-95 shows the level of apathy that characterizes Miami. Art needed to take these lengths to inspire others, to realize the injustice of the world beyond the wall. The image of the “Wall Street Banker” follows suit. It not only represents bankers but every higher level of authority. Every dominant group who has suppressed another sector calls to mind today’s economic downfall--a string of exploitative corporations. And Miami is no stranger to economic corruption.

The sharp font and explosive colors beg for a blatant look at this awestruck example of locals gaining a voice. I now want to discover what lies over the wall. If this introduces a certain part of Miami, what can I expect from the rest of its local territory? Perhaps that’s what the message intends for us to wonder. The rope will run out and that will leave mobiles, and later exiles, without an identity. Money only goes so far, a driving force in Miami’s division between the reality and the spectacle, hanging by the concrete of an I-95 wall.