Geography Undergraduate Dissertation on Latin American Art in London Earns High Commendation
30 October 2024
BA Geography graduate Catalina Alvaro’s dissertation on Latin American artists in London has received a Highly Commended honour in the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) Latin American Geographers Research Group’s dissertation prize competition.
Supervised by Dr Andrew Harris, Catalina’s research explored how Latin American artists reimagine concepts of utopia in urban spaces, using art to convey personal and cultural narratives.
The commendation reflects the dissertation’s valuable insights into the intersections of geography, identity, and artistic expression in the city.
Catalina, born in Venezuela and raised in the UK, saw her dissertation as a way to reconnect with her heritage.
She chose to focus on Spanish-speaking artists based in London, building connections through shared language and culture, and meeting participants from diverse artistic backgrounds, including graffiti, murals, sculpture, and tattoo art.
This variety of media allowed her to explore how each artist envisions and expresses their ideas of utopia within London’s public spaces.
Her dissertation presented a few manifestations of utopia that can be found within Latin American art in London: ecotopias, political resistance, and embodied utopias.
However, she acknowledges that the utopia to be seen in their art is a contentious issue; many artists seemed to create their work to express their frustration with the current dystopian reality rather than aiming to embody any sort of utopian vision.
Catalina’s supervisor, Dr Harris, encouraged her to move beyond the traditional dissertation format and adopt a more narrative approach, one inspired by the Latin American literature she had been studying.
While many British geographers tackle similar topics without such a focus on storytelling, Catalina felt that such a lens was essential to authentically capture and engage with the perspectives of the artists (and literature) she was analysing.
“Andrew played a crucial role in shaping my research,” Catalina notes. “I vividly recall one meeting where I was completely frustrated with the standard dissertation format, especially after engaging with Latin American literature that emphasised storytelling and personal experiences over theoretical frameworks. His response was simple but impactful: "then write like that."”
Her dissertation also addresses the limited representation of Latin American perspectives in English-language geographic literature, a gap she encountered frequently.
Through this research, Catalina found that Latin American artists are not just contributors to London’s art scene but also active shapers of the city’s cultural landscape.
From vivid murals to expressive tattoos, their work influences how Londoners engage with art in everyday life.
Catalina’s commendation by the RGS is not only a milestone in her academic journey but also a recognition of the meaningful role Latin American artists play in enriching London’s identity.
She looks forward to furthering this work and continuing to bring diverse cultural narratives into geographic discourse.
More information
- Find out more about the BA Geography course
- Visit Dr Andrew Harris’s Academic Staff Profile
- Learn more about the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) Latin American Geographers Research Group