Tallinn’s mural campaign collides with street artists

Tallinn’s effort to curb graffiti with commissioned murals has led to street artists painting over some of the works, ERR reports. The city has covered up the new markings, setting off a cycle of repainting.

In early July, Tallinn City Government announced that five artists would create six murals over the summer to help reduce graffiti. But an artist or group using the name PASR has drawn over several city-approved works, reportedly after a wall previously marked by PASR was painted over.

On a mural on Poska Street, PASR wrote, “You will lose this war!” The city painted over the text. On Weizenbergi Street, someone wrote on a mural depicting a swan lake that using murals to fight graffiti was a very bad idea.

North Tallinn district governor Manuela Pihlap said graffiti had become a growing problem. The district administration filed a police report the day after a mural in North Tallinn was painted over. It plans to clean and repaint that wall white and is considering commissioning another mural there.

Pihlap said street artists she had spoken with were surprised that the mural had been painted over. She said that, as she understood it, street-art practice was not to paint over another artist’s work unless the new work completely covered it or was better. In this case, she said, neither condition had been met.

She also said that property owners have the right to decide what appears on their walls. Pihlap cited a building on Ristiku Street where PASR had written its name on private property; the owner chose to have the wall painted over.

Tallinn and Tartu take different approaches

Street artist and Stencibility festival organiser Sirla told ERR that the cities approach street art differently. She said Tallinn presents its official murals as a way to reduce graffiti, while Tartu supports art in public spaces and funds new works rather than painting over existing ones.