Medellín is now home to spaces for art, poetry and drama, as well as public libraries and an ecological park

Twenty-five years ago, Medellín was the most dangerous city on earth, but now tourists explore its comunas (slums)

San Javier, or Comuna 13, has been revitalised. Art projects have led to the appearance of murals and graffiti on nearly every street corner

Over the years, the authorities have invested in cleaning up the area, improving education and transport, and creating community initiatives

The city’s bleak past seems far away as tourists join walking tours to view street art

Skeletons are painted on a wall at the top of a slide in Comuna 13

Local government has been actively involved in the Medellín is Painted for Life project, employing artists to paint murals

The themes explored in the street art are diverse, ranging from serious and political to fun and satirical

Medellín’s walls have become a canvas to tell stories of the city’s past, when gangs and drugs ruled the streets

A young boy walks past a huge work of art

Comuna 13 and the city as a whole still face problems, but residents believe the situation is improving

Graffiti at the bottom of one of Comuna 13’s orange-roofed escalators, built in 2011 to connect the hilly area to the rest of Medellín

All photos are taken by Juancho Torres/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images