Pristina welcomed 130 artists from 32 countries to the eighth edition of the Meeting Of Styles international graffiti festival to revitalize a dull and gray part of Kosovo's capital with colorful murals.
International Graffiti Artists Transform Blighted Area In Pristina With Vibrant Murals
In an effort to make public places more lively and welcoming, international graffiti artists participating in the annual Meeting of Styles (MOS) festival created vibrant graffiti murals in blighted parts of Kosovo's capital city.
The festival, held from June 28-30, welcomed 130 artists from 32 countries who painted their colorful creations in a blighted area adjacent to the train station in the Arberia neighborhood.
The theme of the eighth edition of the festival was "Educate to Elevate."
The German nonprofit group was founded in the 1990s to help graffiti artists legally paint in neglected or abandoned areas.
Following the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, Pristina saw a boom in construction, often to the detriment of residents, who were surrounded by urban blight.
Spaces that were once neglected are now full of vibrant colors.
A mural from Albanian graffiti artist KeLo
Artists from as far away as Thailand, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina took part in this year's festival.
Visitors enter a railway carriage painted by Mexican artist Sprayverse and Polish artist BC ESOBE.
Visitors walk past Canary Island artist fEOfL!P as he works on his creation.
Organizers emphasize the power of street art as a tool for education and social change.
Hungarian artists NEMK, 210, and Bronk paint a mural on the wall of a railway tunnel.
The addition of the vivid paintings has been welcomed by city officials and residents alike.
MOS has launched hundreds of events in many countries across Europe, Russia, Asia, and the Americas.