It seems like a cheerful scene, colorful, with a man and a woman in the bottom left corner enjoying a drink. But the building is collapsing, and the beautiful doors are broken and serve no purpose, except as a canvas for the spray paint used on them.
The real work of keeping people out is done by a small wall of gas concrete blocks: access forbidden. Year after year, I wait to see what will happen to this house in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is called El Carmen, a true maze. Some streets have been renovated, while others are deliberately left as they are. The rise of Airbnb has been halted. It’s a recognition that a vibrant neighborhood must continue to radiate creativity and accessibility. These doors do that too, even though you can’t enter the building.