History of street art in Mexico

Street art has a long and interesting history in Mexico, which dates back to muralist traditions but has evolved in very particular ways:

Background:
- The public murals of the great Mexican muralists such as Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros in the first decades of the 20th century, laid the foundations for popular and protest art in the streets.
- In the 60s and 70s, student groups used graffiti and street paintings during social protest movements such as '68.

Beginnings of modern graffiti:
- In the late 70s, influenced by the graffiti that emerged in cities like New York and Philadelphia, some of the first Mexican graffiti writers such as Muans, 움the Mex and Hade appeared.
- In the 80s and 90s, graffiti spread among gangs and urban neighborhoods, especially in the north of the country.

Contemporary urban art:
- Starting in the 2000s, street art diversified its techniques beyond graffiti, incorporating stencils, stickers, stencils, elaborate murals, etc.
- Important urban art scenes are developing in cities such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Puebla.
- Internationally recognized artists such as Niño de las Pinturas, Neuzz, Saner, Smithe, Curiot and Sego, among many others.
- Increasing professionalization, with festivals, commercial orders and commissioned works.
- Frequent topics are social criticism, indigenism, popular culture, ecology.

Despite its ephemeral and non-permissive nature, Mexican street art has become a vibrant artistic and countercultural expression, mixing local influences with global currents. It reflects an incessant search for public dialogue and urban appropriation.
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