Resignificación del estereotipo del artista urbano en Machala - Ecuador: muralismo contemporáneo como estrategia de legitimación y diálogo social

Abstract

This thesis proposes the redefinition of the role of the urban artist in Machala, Ecuador, through the execution of an interactive mural titled HELLO MY NAME IS. The artwork arises as a critical response to the negative perception that has historically linked urban art to vandalism, thereby undermining its cultural, symbolic, and communal significance. Through an intervention that incorporates technological tools, the project introduces a hybrid methodology of creation that transforms the wall into a space for dialogue and memory. Inspired by international figures such as Inti Castro, Edoardo Ettorre, and El Mac, as well as national initiatives like NUMU and Detonarte, this work defends public space as a legitimate platform for artistic expression. Supported by Ecuador’s Organic Law of Culture, the mural stands as an act of symbolic resistance against stigma, urban transience, and the marginalization of street art, positioning Machala as an emerging territory for critical creation and social transformation.