The Chosen Few: Aesthetics and Ideology in Football Fan Graffiti and Street Art

This visual title explores the football (soccer) fandom's underbelly, featuring a vast photographic archive of fans' graffiti and street art captured by a pioneering 'graffitologist'. It examines themes of racial, ethnic, and class tensions, as well as the Ultra subculture, built by anonymous men whose attachments to their teams sometimes cross the lines into nationalist sentiments and militaristic "Blood and Soil" extremism. The author argues for dissensus being a critical element to democracies and cues our understanding of factional mindsets within histories of political instability.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 25 November 2021
Publisher: DoppelHouse Press

This captivating visual title delves deep into the enigmatic world of football (soccer) fandom, showcasing a vast photographic archive of fans' graffiti and street art captured by a pioneering 'graffitologist'. At the crossroads of street culture and sports, themes of racial, ethnic, and class tensions emerge in visual culture. On the fringes of sports culture, the Ultras, renowned for their pyrotechnics, chants, wildly creative stunts, and hooliganism, captivate our attention. Award-winning author Mitja Velikonja takes readers on a journey through the visual iconography of this fascinating underworld, using selections from his extensive archive, which contains hundreds of photographs of Ultras' street art and graffiti, encompassing elaborate murals, stickers, "scratchitto" incisions, and spray-paint duels.

The Ultra subculture is constructed by "no-bodys," anonymous (primarily) men whose attachments to their teams, particularly in Europe and post-socialist states, sometimes veer into nationalist sentiments and militaristic "Blood and Soil" extremism. After exploring general themes and trends in street art and tifo club graffiti, Velikonja embarks on a case study of fans from his native Slovenia, touching upon the roles of neighboring football fans in the Balkan Wars. He continues with an analysis of political and socially progressive graffiti, local trends, and circumstances, as well as its role in the United States. As he unravels layers of misinformation and misrepresentation, he cues our understanding of factional mindsets within histories of political instability, arguing for dissensus as a vital element to democracies.

In the end, we realize that while always under siege, ultra-fans demand nothing less than fidelity and devotion, but precisely the kind that is unwavering. This captivating exploration of football fandom challenges our perceptions and sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape the world of sports and beyond.

Weight: 280g
Dimension: 139 x 204 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781954600027