Medellín’s graffiti is notorious for transforming of urban spaces like Comuna 13 and Avenida Guayabal (by the zoo) and even lively bars like Sindominio. The graffiti artists in the city constantly outdo themselves with murals under bridges and through tunnels; a constant reminder of the overwhelming creativity in the city. It’s as if the capability of the citizens to create, innovate and explore creatively were reflected in the murals of Medellín.
If you’ve ever been to Ondas, you, like me, have probably dreamt of more places like it, full of amazing graffiti and a young, creative vibe.I, unfortunately, was unable to attend the Fama events that, during an afternoon of music and art, painted the walls of 20 Mission, Ondas to make them what they are now.
However, I am now freed of my FOMO (fear of missing out) because the hosts of the Fama event at Ondas opened their very own makerspace downtown and it is everything I imagined.
About Göra
Göra, “make” in Swedish, is a makerspace.
“A makerspace is a multipurpose workshop equipped with a variety of different tools and machines brought to life by a diverse community of makers. ” explained one of the co-founders, Thomas.
But it’s not just a workshop. It’s not simply a place. A makerspace is a community that really makes a space more than just a room full of equipment. People come with ideas, backgrounds in different fields, and they mix, they grow, they advance, they fail sometimes, and they succeed together.
The room, the art, the equipment, that’s not really the makerspace. It’s the people that use it that make it come alive.
“We want to make a positive difference in this world and make a living doing it. We view göra as the platform to create a distinct culture among the people who wish to create the world them and their children are going to inhabit. We want to support the people who want to take lives into their own hands. We want to show people what we can accomplish when we pool our resources and work together.”
Makin’ a Makerspace
“This point in history is the first time the people have access to all the same knowledge that had traditionally been just for the elites. Now we can can teach our selves how to build just about anything, the only thing we were still missing was the capital, that is the capacity to convert the knowledge into productive mechanisms. The more I read about 3D printing the more I read about makerspaces, hackerspaces, and open source development. After I tried and failed at starting a 3D printing business in Medellín, I knew I still wanted to work with 3D printers but didn’t want to be limited to only 3D printers either. The philosophy behind a makerspace is aligned with my values and beliefs.” Thomas explained.
“Although its only Fer and I now, it was an effort made by many people to get Göra to where it is now.”
The FAMA Events
Why Downtown?
“Centro wasn’t actually our first choice. The house we really wanted ended up getting sold and so we had to continue looking for something that was big enough and not ridiculously expensive. Obviously, we also needed a central location in the city. At first ,we were worried centro might be too dangerous, especially having a lot of expensive machinery, but as we began to search on foot we realized it was the perfect place. Central, full of art, of real people living real lives, of workshops, universities and just grungy enough to keep people open minded.”
Gora’s Equipment & Events
- 3D printer
- Laser cutter
- Paint Cavern
- Air compresor
- Sewing Machine
- Carpentry tools
- Music Room
- Classroom
- Arduino and Raspberry Pi
- Soldering Iron
- electronics/ robotics workshops
- art and culture, expositions
- entrepreneur networking and start-up weekends
- clubs and meetups (club de dibujo, movie night, club de arduino etc.)
- Parties/fiestas
- Yoga
- Classes and workshops
Membership Rates and Hours
- day – 8,000 COP (2.70)
- week – 50 mil ($17)
- one free training session
- (a basic intro class to use a machine or tool) 15 minutes on the laser cutter
- 15 minutes on the laser cutter
- month – 100,000 COP ($34)
- one free training session
- 60 minutes on the laser cutter
- Monthly group membership (3 or 4 people)
- 250,000 COP($85)
- Same benefits as a monthly membership
- Monthly Team membership
- 450,000 COP ($153)
- 5 or 6 people
- same benefits as a monthly membership
- Monthly Business membership
- 600,000 COP ($204)
- 7 – 10 people
- same benefits as a monthly membership
Contact Göra
