Chișinău’s vibrant street art scene provided an unexpected way to make this transformation visible. The city is known for large murals and strong community-rooted expression, making public art a natural medium to celebrate the school’s renewal. Local street artist and activist Dmitri Potapov, known as BTA, was invited to create a mural that would reflect the spirit of the project. His work often explores themes of Moldovan identity, memory and positive social change.
For Potapov, painting in public space is both powerful and deeply personal. “Street art is like a public mirror,” he says. “The moment you finish a mural, you are completely exposed to everyone who walks by. It is a kind of gallery open to all, not only to people with artistic training.” He adds, “I taught myself to paint. For me, art became a way to show who I am and to connect with the city around me.”
The mural was shaped with the participation of the children themselves. Potapov led workshops where students explored colour, played with shapes and imagined what their warm, joyful school looked like. Their drawings featured suns, trees, windows and smiling faces, many of which became part of the final piece.