Graffiti gaze. The writers looking at urban territory and its places

This article investigates how graffiti writers perceive, interpret and use urban space. Drawing on qualitative interviews with writers conducted in Italy, it proposes and substantiates the notion of a distinctive “graffiti gaze”: a situated way of seeing that reworks both individual places and the city as a whole. Place selection is guided by four criteria – materiality of surfaces, visibility, architectural accessibility and social accessibility – combined through search strategies that include vigilant everyday observation, targeted exploration (including virtual surveys) and exchanges of information within social networks. The practice generates evolving mental maps composed of painted spots, prospective sites and preferred routes, which anchor personal memories and scene infrastructures. The findings refine the analogy with the “skater’s eye” and “parkour vision”, showing family resemblances yet outlining specificities of writing. Comparative glimpses across cities highlight variations in competitive climates, morphologies and institutional arrangements, without undermining shared patterns. The article then provides new insights into how unconventional uses of space challenge dominant perceptions of urban territory and contribute to its re-signification.