buchARTest: How a group of young people brings color to the streets of Bucharest

In September of last year, an urban regeneration project that aims to breathe new life into the city and the community with the help of mural art first started to take shape. buchARTest, as it is called, is focused on street art, community, and education. While it began as part of a leadership program, it is now a long-term project bringing a facelift to various parts of Bucharest.

So far, the young team of buchARTest has worked to set up several murals around the city: Love Them as They Love You by BTACREW in Dorobanți (Puțul lui Zamfir St.), Eu cu cine votez?(Who shall I vote for?) by Andrei Felea, Suflu Interior (Inner Breath) by Silvia Dumitriu (D’SIL ART), and Captivitate Urbană (Urban Captivity) by Maria Borțoi, all on Arthur Verona St., close to Piața Romană. They also held a mural art workshop and launched a call for works exploring the theme of forests, the results of which are to be seen in the city’s Romană, Dorobanți and Universitate areas. Their work was recognized at this year’s edition of the Social Impact Award Romania, where buchARTest was one of the three winners. In the Q&A below, buchARTest founder Livia Florea told Romania Insider more about the project, from its early beginnings to the challenges of the present.