Street Art Chilango, the initiative that changed Mexican urban art

This revolutionary proposal maps works, connects them to the digital world, and makes them accessible to everyone, bringing the talent of urban artists to a global stage.
In the metropolis that never sleeps, where tradition and modernity are on every corner, urban art is a symbol of resistance, expression, and connection. Mexico City is witnessing a spectacular transformation on its streets. Urban art, from clandestine murals to official interventions, has found its own voice. The Street Art Chilango project is an innovative initiative that transforms street art into a collective experience. Since its founding, it has had a profound impact on appreciation and dissemination, linking public space with cyberspace in a unique way.
The seed of a movement

The concept of Street Art Chilango began on March 6, 2013, when Jenaro de Rosenzweig and Alejandro Revilla decided to create a Facebook page dedicated to showcasing urban art from Mexico City. At that moment, they expressed their perspective on the limitations of Mexican street art and realized they were facing a completely unknown world, full of creativity and popular expression.

It began as a simple fan page dedicated to uploading photos of murals and graffiti. It quickly grew into a much more ambitious platform. Jenaro and Alejandro created a website with an integrated API, a system that allowed them to geolocate all the urban art works documented by Instagram users. By joining the initiative, they used the hashtag #streetartchilango. Citizens and artists contributed to mapping the city's visual richness, making works that might otherwise have remained hidden to many accessible.
Recognition and Expansion

Street Art Chilango's success was immediate, and in a short time, the project went from being a social media phenomenon to a tourism initiative. In 2015, the Mexico City Mixed Promotion Tourism Fund recognized its impact, awarding it an prize for its contribution to promoting the capital. This helped consolidate its image as a centerpiece of Mexico City's urban culture, attracting tourists from all over the world eager to discover the city's best-kept secrets.

In 2018, the Mexico City Tourism Secretariat included it on its list of the 100 most relevant promotional projects. In this way, Street Art Chilango consolidated its position as an essential player in the city's cultural scene, positioning itself as one of the leading urban art initiatives.
The tour experience

Street Art Chilango is recognized for its ability to transform a simple walk through the streets of Mexico City into a sensorial experience. The initiative invites visitors to discover murals and graffiti through an in-depth look at the stories of the artists who created them. The guides who lead the tours provide a detailed look at each work, revealing the artists' secrets, the techniques used, the messages hidden behind each brushstroke, and the evolution of urban art in the city.

The tour spans iconic areas such as Roma, Condesa, and the Historic Center, where tourists are immersed in the diverse colors and styles that reflect both the social reality and the artists' dreams. The geolocation of the works, available on the Street Art Chilango website, allows any visitor to create their own tour, but the guided experience is uniquely valuable.

Through the hashtag #streetartchilango, more than 100,000 people shared their own photos and discoveries, creating a global network that amplifies the visibility of the works. With this model of collective participation, they democratized art. The arrival of smartphones dissolved the physical boundaries of murals, and what was once a local piece of art can now be appreciated by thousands of people around the world. This radical change renewed muralism, with a new wave of creativity that nourished Mexican tradition.
The Street Art Chilango initiative continues to grow, promoting accessible art, cultural education, and the preservation of urban heritage. As new artists emerge, the project cultivates a shared vision, with the belief that urban art is, and always will be, a reflection of our society.
Source