The Poetic Action movement is a literary and artistic phenomenon that began in Monterrey (Nuevo León, Mexico) in 1996.[1]​[2]​ Its founder is the Mexican poet Armando Alanís Pulido and it consists of labeling and intervening on different walls and walls of the cities, with fragments of poetry,[3]​[4]​ mainly in Spanish.

In Mexico, there are 180 cities with Poetic Action interventions. Social networks such as Facebook gave it global reach, with a presence in 30 countries and self-organized groups that carry out the labeling.[3]​.

These letterings use black paint on a white background, signed below with the seal and small print format of “Poetic Action.” At the beginning of this cultural action they used to be song lyrics and verses by Alanís himself. Today many other anonymous creators label walls and walls with their own creative initiative. A rule of the movement is not to paint political or religious slogans and to preserve a romantic tone in the background of the labeled phrase or reflection.[4]​.

This movement began in some walls of Monterrey and its metropolitan area, but a few years ago the initiative crossed borders and this movement can be observed in more than one hundred and eighty Mexican cities as well as in forty countries around the world.

“Poetic Action Phrases” emerges from this movement, which brings together many groups and millions of people who love this urban cultural art. «Poetic Action Phrases» based in the United States, brings together groups in Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.

Contenido

Armando Alanís Pulido invitó un grupo de amigos poetas para escribir versos sobre paredes y muros, en Monterrey, hacia 1996. Por esa práctica el crítico literario Sergio Cordero lo apodó «El bardo de las bardas». Buscaba entonces crear una "antología de poesía callejera"[2]​ abierta para ser contemplada por las personas en su vida y quehaceres cotidianos, e integrarla en el paisaje urbano y con ello combatir la cultura que aboga por no leer o descuidar el hábito de lectura, que para él representaba un problema grave en la sociedad.[4]​.

Con el crecimiento de las Redes Sociales, pudieron contactar entre sí las personas que lo hacían espontáneamente en países como Argentina o Perú con el propio Alanís, el fundador. Además dichas Redes sirvieron para extender y popularizar las imágenes, y sumar más personas que iniciaron sus propias aportaciones.[4]​.