City Walls
Walk through any city and look around. Murals, graffiti, and posters all tell stories about what people care about and how life moves. Some streets feel bold and raw, others quiet and careful. Each tells its own story and reflects the city’s culture and connections. Pay attention, and these layers can reveal more about a place than any guidebook ever could.
Ecuador’s Street Energy
In Ecuador, signs are everywhere. Hand-painted boards, colourful banners, and murals that double as ads fill the streets. They are full of creativity, urgency, and personality, telling stories about the people and communities behind them. You can feel the energy in every stroke and bright colour.
A powerful example is Custodias de Vida, a large mural in Quito celebrating biodiversity and honouring the women protecting it. The mural shows struggles for ancestral lands, environmental protection, and food sovereignty. The ten-meter-tall figures stand for values like culture, clean water, and the environment. This work shows how street art can blend beauty, storytelling, and activism, turning the streets into a stage for powerful messages.
Voices on Walls
Ecuador’s streets are alive with more than just ads. Murals and graffiti layer the city with meaning. Street art tells stories, reflects social issues, celebrates local pride, and preserves cultural heritage. These colourful works do more than decorate walls. They spark conversations and build connections.
Bold or Controversial
Street advertising and urban art are not without debate. What some see as bold expression, others call vandalism. Cities often struggle to balance artistic freedom with public safety and order. In Ecuador, the lively street art scene is widely embraced but sometimes clashes with property rules or social norms. Murals that challenge political or cultural expectations can spark strong reactions.
Shared Stories Across Streets
Calgary’s streets show a mix of clean ads and colourful murals celebrating the city’s culture and history. Indigenous art and community projects share local stories and reflect who the city is today. Like Ecuador’s streets, Calgary’s public art shows how places express their values and identity through what is on the walls.
From hand-painted signs in Ecuador to murals in Calgary, the streets reflect what matters to people. Paying attention to these everyday visuals is more than spotting trends. It is about noticing local voices, values, and rhythms. Cities speak in paint and print, and often the best stories are already written on their walls.
By Daniela Brazzero