Göra: Medellín’s First Open Downtown Makerspace

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.”