Expert criticism of public graffiti using medical terminology as slogans

Professor Kyriakos Veresies, a neurologist, psychiatrist, and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Philips University in Nicosia, has publicly criticized the phenomenon of graffiti and street art being used as a form of social imposition. Writing on November 5, 2026, the professor identified a growing trend of utilizing public surfaces—including walls, signposts, and traffic signals—to display team colors, symbols, and slogans as a means of claiming territory and asserting identity against others.

Of particular concern to Dr. Veresies is the appearance of the specific slogan “Schizophrenia 94”. The expert argues that extracting the word “schizophrenia” from its clinical context and repurposing it as a rallying cry represents a disturbing trend. He describes this act as a “terrorism of ugliness,” noting that while it does not physically harm individuals, it serves as a mechanism of psychological imposition that forces a specific identity upon the public, stripping a serious mental disorder of its medical meaning.