ABSTRACT

A generally agreed upon definition of a mural is a monumental and foremost two-dimensional art form that is designed for display on a wall. Etymologically the word mural goes back to the Latin expression “murus” signifying wall. In the Spanish meaning, the term mural has a relational dimension, where it is defined as belonging or relating to a wall. Frequently murals are designed in such a way that the mural and the wall become inseparable. Some murals include a third dimension by integrating sculptures and other media, others emphasize the performative act of creating a mural by removing it from the wall. Murals hold a strong presence in the sphere of communal public art, some express individual artistic expression, others are commissioned and censored by governments and institutions, some of them express social commentary and political messages, other murals function as promotion in commodity consumer culture (→ Consumerism, I/23). Contemporary murals tend to integrate elements of graffiti and street art (→ Subcultures, I/43) that consist of inscriptions, slogans, tags, drawings, etc. scratched, scribbled, sprayed or drawn, often crudely, on a wall or other public surface.