The origins of graffiti are rooted in Pompeii (Italy) and have existed in varied forms all along history, but graffiti as understood in this project began in New York City (Castleman, 1984). There was a subculture where Graffiti was born, due to the inequalities that minorities were living in that moment and their needs for protest. Graffiti was not only the act of painting a subway, it belonged to the Hip Hop movement. This includes three elements: painting (graffiti, tags, and walls), dancing (popping, locking, top rocks, down rocks, power moves, freezes…) and music (rap, mc´s, dj´s, etc.). It was one of the means of expression for those social sectors as explained by this fragment of the documentary Style Wars:

“Rapping and breaking became the prime expressions of a new young people's subculture called ''hip‐hop.'' Graffiti is the written word. There is the spoken word of rap music... (rap music playing) and then there's the acrobatic body language of dances like ''breaking”. (Style Wars, 1983)

As graffiti was born in New York subways, the spreading channel was mass media more than direct contact, particularly in those countries not belonging to the AngloSaxon culture. Movies and documentaries such as “Style Wars (1983)”, but also “Wildstyle” (1983), and “Beatstreet” (1984) where the main source of contact with graffiti writers overseas. A significant fact is their presence in mainstream mass media in all four countries, which can be considered the first milestone.
The UK was the first country to adopt this form of social protest in the late 70s, followed by Austria and Germany, while in Spain it started in the early 80s. What is clear for all of them is that after starting it has registered an important increase that lasts until today (maybe with the exception of Germany which registered a low decrease after the Breakdance hype).

For more information on history for each country about the origins of graffiti, please see in resources: Graffolution D2.2 Regional, cultural, ethical, privacy and legal aspects and influence factors report.