The illustrated cityscape Imperfect lines of urban exploration

Illustrators and the city have been deeply intertwined since modern times, engaging in a critical and artistic dynamic. Illustration, with its unique potential to be integrated into the space where it is created, may uncover an urban discursive space in its lines but also unveil the city as a complex entity through alternative and multiple perspectives. This doctoral research aims to spark original urban debates using a mixed methodology that combines theory and praxis. It proposes a collaborative approach to analysing, raising awareness and shaping urban spaces. The artistic practice as research developed through the dissertation intends to demonstrate how the phenomenon of “illustrated cities” can be found at the intersection between urban experience, place, and illustration. Thus, urban illustration is explored as a form of visual storytelling and communication, addressing urban issues and engaging with the city and its inhabitants. Additionally, this study examines the impact of contemporary illustration practices on urban perception and explores the possibilities of a collective perspective through illustrated reportage. The thesis suggests that urban illustration has the potential to trigger a more politically aware understanding of urban space, empowering the readers to see the city in a new light and revealing surprising connections between different urban elements, the dwellers and their lived experiences.