Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Painting as a first step to fully pedestrianizing
The Project
Piezișă Street, the main access route to Cluj-Napoca’s bustling student dorm area, is a beloved and iconic hub in the city. With over 20,000 student residents nearby, the narrow and heavily trafficked street features good infrastructure and attracts approximately 24,000 pedestrians daily. Yet despite the street’s popularity among students and tourists, there had not been any efforts to revitalize it until this asphalt art project. The painted mural depicts a new, hopeful landscape: an optical illusion of cracked asphalt that reveals an enchanted reflection of our own world. In this parallel universe, young people soar with books made of wings and vibrant colors reflect the diversity of the community. With the project’s implementation, Piezișă Street was permanently pedestrianized, contributing to the city’s large-scale vision of a more walkable city.
Set in an environment heavily influenced by student life, the mural takes knowledge out of the school setting and depicts it as something without boundaries.
OCU, Artist
Press
Street Art Project ”Asphalt Art Initiative Cluj-Napoca” Is Available on Piezișă Street (Clujulcultral.ro, December 17, 2023)
For inspiration and tips for the creation of art on roadways and public places, download the Bloomberg Associates Asphalt Art Guide which features successful plaza and roadway art activations around the world, as well as key steps for developing such projects.
