Romanian artist colors hundreds of trees to protest against illegal logging

Romanian visual artist Mihai Topescu, together with other artists and volunteers, painted hundreds of trees in Dumbrava Forest, Gorj County, as a sign of protest against illegal logging. They used eco-friendly paint to color the over 600 trees, reports local Mediafax. Around 30 volunteers participated in the project called Art Land “Gradina Paradisului” (Art Land “The Garden of Paradise”), between June 30 and July 3. They painted the trees in many colors, such as yellow, purple, blue, green, and red, turning the forest into a tourist attraction. Mihai Topescu, the project's initiator, said that coloring the trees was aimed at turning the forest into a space of meditation, reflection, and self-discovery. Moreover, it was also “some kind of manifesto against everything that happens with deforestation, an artistic manifesto.” The artist also said that the project would continue next year, expanding to the forest across the road from this one, if the owners agree. However, the artist has other plans for the other forest, different from what happened in Dumbrava Forest. Illegal logging is still a major problem in Romania, despite the public effort to combat it. A total of 9,444 cases of illegal logging were registered in Romania in 2016, which represents an average of 26 cases per day, according to a Greenpeace Romania report. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com (Photo source: Adrian Tudor on Facebook)