Bucharest Street Art Fest 2024 @Combinat @MNAC
The 2024 edition of the Bucharest Street Art Festival marks a significant evolution for the event, expanding on its roots in the Bucharest Stickerz Fest, which in 2023 redefined the urban art landscape by showcasing more than just stickers. Originally a celebration of the subculture of sticker art, the festival has grown to include a vibrant mix of paste-ups, installations, graffiti, murals, and urban calligraphy, capturing the dynamic energy of street art in all its forms.
The festival embraces the diversity of street art, inviting both local and international creators to leave their mark on the capital’s urban landscape. Through murals, thought-provoking installations, and intricate calligraphy, the festival reimagines public spaces in Bucharest as an open-air gallery where art becomes accessible to everyone.
With each passing year, the Bucharest Street Art Festival grows more ambitious, proving that street art is not just a temporary expression but a powerful medium capable of leaving lasting impressions and transforming cities. The 2024 edition was an unforgettable celebration of urban culture, innovation, and artistic freedom.
The festival, held on May 11-12 at Combinat and May 18-19 at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC), was a vibrant celebration of urban creativity and artistic expression. The first weekend at Combinat, supported by The Institute and UAP (Uniunea artistilor plastici) , brought together artists and enthusiasts to explore the dynamic world of street art in Bucharest.
First Weekend @Combinat
The opening weekend at Combinat featured live paintings, interactive installations, and street performances that transformed the industrial space into a canvas of bold colors and daring concepts. It was a meeting point for both local and international street artists, who showcased their work in a space that has long been associated with the city’s art scene.
An important element of the 2024 festival was the conference titled “Street Art and Vandalism in Bucharest”, held at the Goethe Institut on May 17. Moderated by Cristi Neagoe, the event provided a platform for a candid discussion on the complex relationship between street art and vandalism, particularly within the context of Bucharest’s urban landscape. Panelists included prominent street artist Pisica Pătrată, graphic designer and founder of ,,Romanian Graphic Days’’ Ciprian Isac, ADAM (non-binary street artist, illustrator and performer , “Alin,” a 17 years old graffiti writer and Vali Dobrin, founder of the ,,Alternative Bucharest’’ NGO that organises BSAF. The conference delved into the nuances of the street art scene in Romania, addressing themes of artistic expression, legality, and the shifting perceptions of public art in the city.
This year’s edition of the festival not only highlighted the creativity and talent of street artists but also sparked crucial debates about the place of street art within the urban fabric of Bucharest. By engaging with both the public and cultural institutions, the Bucharest Street Art Festival in 2024 made a powerful statement about the evolving dialogue between art and society.
A key highlight of the festival was the Graffiti Project COMBINAT, which brought together eight of Romania’s most talented graffiti artists to collaborate on a monumental artwork. Each artist was tasked with creating one letter of the word Combinat, with their individual styles blending to form a cohesive and striking piece.
The participating artists—Pulsar Sinaps, Ohboy, Mser, Biex, Lost Optics, Mose, Erps, and Roper—each brought their unique flair to the project, contributing to a massive piece that highlighted the diversity and creativity of Romania’s graffiti scene.
In addition to the COMBINAT project, the festival featured a sticker and paste up exhibition, showcasing a wide array of sticker art and paste-up pieces by artists from countries like Australia, Austria, Brasil, Canada, Columbia, Croatia, Switzerland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, USA and Great Britain, that added a dynamic, interactive dimension to the event. These works offered a fresh take on the ephemeral nature of street art, capturing the urban environment’s ever-changing aesthetic.
The eventl also featured works by some of the most prominent Romanian street artists, including Barto, Alin Mihai, Alexa Lincu, Leo Toteanu, Andrei Stănescu, Jabra, Korolenco, Ghosty, and Razew, who contributed to a stunning 100 m² display. These pieces showcased a variety of styles, from abstract to realistic, offering visitors a rich tapestry of urban visual culture.
The street art installation by Orhan was another standout, transforming the venue with thought-provoking, site-specific art that spoke to the industrial backdrop of Combinatul Fondului Plastic. The industrial theme continued with Ortaku and Letinu Filip, who painted two large containers, further adding to the festival’s unique character.
Workshops were also an essential part of the festival’s programming. Monica Briciu led a stencil workshop, offering participants the opportunity to learn this classic street art technique. Another workshop, led by mutabel, from Germany, in collaboration with the Goethe Institut, introduced attendees to the intricate art of string art, a hands-on experience that allowed for creative expression through threads and nails. A sticker workshop by Boxwithwings from Hungary, in collaboration with the Liszt Institute Bucharest, gave participants a chance to experiment with the sticker art form, while contributing to the ongoing street art dialogue in the city.
In addition to the workshops, the festival featured a special urban exhibition, which displayed one canvas from each of the participating artists. This exhibition offered an intimate look at the studio work of street artists, bridging the gap between their mural practices and gallery work. One of the most impressive pieces of the festival was the 25m² calligraphy mural by Not Bob, which added a distinct typographic element to the event, blending traditional and modern calligraphy with contemporary street art.
Overall, the 2024 Bucharest Street Art Festival at Combinatul Fondului Plastic was a bold and dynamic showcase of street art’s versatility, with local and international artists coming together to create an immersive experience that celebrated the intersection of urban culture, creativity, and collaboration.
Second Weekend @MNAC
Following the successful opening at Combinat, the festival moved to the National Museum of Contemporary Art, where the works on display bridged the gap between the rebellious nature of street art and the institutionalized world of contemporary art. The museum setting allowed for a reflection on the integration of street art into Romania’s broader art culture and its evolution over time.
This closing event on May 18th and 19th brought together a diverse lineup of talented artists, each contributing their unique styles and skills to engage with the audience in interactive and creative ways.
One of the most innovative aspects of the closing event was the focus on the museum’s bathrooms, where the public was invited to participate in the artistic process. Romanian artists Ilustromania, Adama, and the Să Fiţi Cuminţi Crew took to the bathroom walls, transforming them into immersive art spaces. As they painted, visitors were encouraged to intervene and leave their mark, making it a truly collaborative experience.
Outside, on the museum’s terrace, Ortaku left a lasting impression with a paste-up intervention, adding layers of art to the open-air space. Fuxundschalter from Germany, showcased his signature Tape Art, creating a visually striking installation on the terrace, while also offering a workshop where festival-goers could explore the technique and create their own art. Boxwitwings from Hungary created a massive sticker combo, covering the terrace with colorful, eye-catching designs that invited people to take part in the fun.
Workshops were an integral part of the event, offering hands-on experiences for anyone interested in learning new artistic skills. Mutabel hosted her popular string art workshop, guiding participants in crafting intricate and visually captivating designs. Meanwhile, Romanian artist Mose held a calligraphy workshop, where attendees could explore the fluid beauty of this ancient art form.
The 2024 Bucharest Street Art Festival was not just a showcase of street art but an immersive, participatory event that encouraged everyone to become part of the artistic process. Whether through painting, pasting, taping, or stringing, the festival offered something for everyone, fostering creativity and community in the heart of Bucharest.
The event was only possible due to our supportive partners: Colorit, Profiart, The Plot, Sticăreşti, Sticker Republic, UAP,MNAC, The Institute, Goethe Institut, Liszt Institute, Kiss FM.
