Mural City Bremen: Urban art meets sustainability
"Bremen should become more colourful, lively and inspiring. We want to use sustainable urban art to enhance neighbourhoods and positively change living conditions," says Peter Stöcker, creative entrepreneur and founder of the urban art agency Lucky Walls, describing the vision he shares with his team.
Website: www.muralcity.de
Instagram: @muralcity.fest
Photos: Mural City
MURAL CITY was born out of a desire to promote the urban culture of the city of Bremen and the urban art scene worldwide. The motto for 2025 was "Beauty of Science". Artists were invited and facade surfaces were selected. The latter was done in consultation with the housing associations Vonovia and LEG Wohnen. The facade surfaces had to be intact and not in need of renovation, as the images will remain in place, meaning that more works of art will be on display each year, creating a huge open-air gallery. Sustainability is particularly important to everyone involved – in art, in urban development and in the use of resources. That is why KEIM Soldalit-ME mineral facade paint was used instead of classic spray cans when selecting the colours. Thanks to its photocatalytic effect, pollutants from the environment are broken down. A small contribution to climate protection – without any maintenance or follow-up costs.
From idea to festival, from grey walls to facades that tell stories: in this interview, we take a look behind the scenes of Mural City with Peter Stöcker.
How did the idea for the Mural City event in Bremen come about?
As a freelance artist and founder of the urban art agency Lucky Walls, I have been implementing façade art projects and urban art events in a marketing and cultural context for 15 years. For several years now, our team has been asking ourselves how we can operate more sustainably within our sphere of influence. Since we organised the HIDDEN TREASURE Urban Art Festival from 2021 to 2023, the experience we gained from this served as the basis for the MURAL CITY concept. While the HIDDEN TREASURE Festival is an event-related occasion with a temporary character, we focus on sustainability at MURAL CITY. The artworks are created in the middle of the urban space and are of very high quality. This allows the art to have a lasting effect on people and enrich their living spaces. We have also rethought the whole thing in terms of materials. Since our traditional medium, the spray can, is not exactly known for its sustainability, we set out to find new possibilities and came across KEIM Soldalit-ME, a mineral paint with a climate-positive additive and extreme durability. These innovations enabled us to become more sustainable and significantly more durable in terms of both cultural impact and materials.
What are the biggest challenges in organising such an event?
It is important to us to offer all participants a successful project. Sponsors, partners, artists, residents and city representatives have very different needs that must be met. This is a challenge and, at the same time, our organisational goal.
Were there any doubts/discussions among the residents/owners of the houses that have now been painted?
Change is the hardest thing for us humans to deal with. This is always noticeable, both on a small and large scale, when projects are carried out in the public eye. Different opinions are not only welcome here, but are part of the process. Communication, understanding, but also maintaining boundaries are important key skills in this regard.
How were the artists selected? Are they completely free to come up with their own ideas, or is this decided by a larger group?
Each MURAL CITY festival has an overarching theme. When curating the line-up, I look for artists who fit the festival's theme and who, as a whole, represent a broad stylistic palette. I do this so that the festival artists can work freely and authentically, enabling a pure creative process. We rely on a mix of experienced artists and professional newcomers. Local talent also has a chance. I engage in personal exchanges with all artists about their motives and, when necessary, take on the role of art director, discussing ideas considerately and on an equal footing with the artists.
When selecting artists, it is also important that they have the technical ability to create professional murals in a short period of time and under challenging conditions. This year in Bremen, the artists had only four days to complete their works on the wall. Three artists worked on extremely tall images at heights of up to 27 metres on a facade on Rostocker Strasse.
What is the logistical effort involved? How many helpers are there behind the scenes?
A MURAL CITY Festival requires at least one year of preparation in order to realise the theme in a way that does it justice. The planning, logistical and personnel costs involved should not be underestimated. Processes are often lengthy and require patience. We are delighted that we can count MURAL CITY 2025 as a successful launch event. At the same time, we depend on every helping hand, strong sponsorship partners and facade owners. MURAL CITY will continue to be a collaborative success rather than a solo show in the future. Our mailboxes are open for all kinds of cooperation enquiries for 2026. Get in touch if you would like to get involved in culture or strengthen your brand through exciting cultural sponsorship.
What is the conclusion? Was the feedback only positive?
We believe that every process can be improved, and on this basis we ensure that we do not stand still. MURAL CITY 2025 is our most successful event to date. This is not only our opinion, but is reflected by everyone involved. Municipal funding for the follow-up event has already been secured. Some sponsorship slots still need to be filled.
Thank you very much for the exchange and the glimpse behind the scenes at MURAL CITY. Thank you very much for the interview – we are already looking forward to MURAL CITY 2026!
Murals Gnesener Street Bremen
Murals Bromberger Street
Murals Rostocker Street
The Artists
Lina Besedina
Lina Besedina is a Siberian-born muralist, illustrator and graphic designer based in Buenos Aires. Her dreamlike murals blend academic brushwork with Latin American graffiti, exploring femininity, memory, and magical realism. With nearly 100 murals worldwide, she’s painted at Grenoble Street Art Festival (France), Urban Art Biennale (Bolivia), and several mural projects in Sicily (Italy). Lina sees public art as a tool for wonder, reflection, and soft resistance.
The artwork:
„The Heart of the Forest“
As a child, I once said a tree was a living being — and was told I was wrong. I didn’t agree then, and I still don’t. This mural evokes that early instinct: a child kneels before a glowing tree-heart, sensing the wonder within. A tribute to nature’s quiet aliveness, The Heart of the Forest invites us to pause, listen, and remember that the world is more alive than we’re taught to believe.
Antonia Lev
Antonia Lev is a visual artist based in Paris, originally from Russia. She was born in Moscow and lived there until 2022. With a degree in illustration and graphic design, she continues to develop her artistic practice in France. Over the past decade, Lev has been actively engaged in mural painting and street art, creating large-scale works for festivals across Russia, Israel, Germany, Finland, and Georgia. Her visual language is characterized by fluid, minimal forms and soft gradients, reflecting the flows of desire she observes in nature, human figures, and animals. She often collaborates with her husband, the artist Stepa Aifo, who is also part of the MURAL CITY Fest.
The artwork:
„The Dance of Blooming“
“The idea for this piece came to me while observing a tree in a garden near my home in the suburbs of Paris. I noticed that its trunk was twisted in a spiral, creating the impression that nature itself was spinning around and dance around it.”
Chus
Chus was born in Italy where he worked on graphic novels as a colourist for Italian and British publishers. He moved to Denmark in 2016, where he joined a dynamic environment of muralists and graffiti writers and while working as illustrator and designer he developed a passion for painting large murals.
He kept a close connection to his roots in the green hills of Tuscany and the wild Appennini mountains where trees, wildlife and rivers are still a source of inspiration for his dreamy murals.
The artwork:
„The Green Gift“
The painting is divided in sections, sort of a triptych. The central section represents the encounter between a young girl and what seems to be a magical creature: a spirit or personification of Nature herself. As the girl stretches her arms out towards lady Nature, her hands open in a receiving gesture, the green lady blesses her with a gift of young trees sprouting and growing, healthy and green. This section of the triptych will feature brighter colours and a stronger contrast than the rest, this will help put focus on the main scene of the story. The two side panels can be interpreted either as other moments of the story, or as close-ups on what is happening. Their more muted contrast and color palette helps with the readability of the artwork and the overall harmony. On the left panel, we see a portrait of the young girl, her expression is determined, representing her determination in bringing the Green Gift to the world, on the right panel a close-up on the hands of the two characters meeting and giving life to green plants. There is a fourth section at the top, framed in a shape that reminds that of a seed. Within the same there is a pattern of roots stretching down towards our main characters. The symbology hints that through care for our roots and planting the right seeds we will see a better future.
Cloakwork
Cloakwork is a street artist and illustrator hailing from Malaysia, known for his unique and playful approach to art. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Cloakwork developed a passion for drawing and painting at a young age. He began his artistic career creating graffiti art in his local neighborhood, but soon expanded his repertoire to include murals and other forms of public art. With a style that blends elements of traditional painting and street art, Cloakwork's creations is characterized by bright colors, bold lines, and illustrative characters paired with story-tellings. His pieces often feature oversized objects and whimsical scenes that evoke a sense of wonder and imagination. Cloakwork has created numerous murals and street art installations throughout Malaysia and around the globe, he has also worked on numerous commercial projects, designing merchandise for well-known brands such as Calvin Klein, Pepsi, Montana-Cans, etc.
The artwork:
„Listen to the Nature“
When I first saw the wall with windows around it, I found it both intriguing and challenging. The lines on the wall inspired me to use them as guides to divide the space into different sections. After conducting some research and exploring the location on Google Maps, I discovered that it’s a residential area surrounded by greenery. This led me to develop the following narrative: Inspired by the harmony of nature, I imagined a world where humans and insects coexist in balance. We depend on one another to maintain that equilibrium. Although we often see ourselves as the best landscape designers, it's important to stay open-minded, observe the natural world, and draw inspiration from other life forms. Each species has its own unique way of shaping an environment that supports life, and there's much we can learn from that.
Von Schulz
Born in 1978 in tranquil Münster, Germany, designer, illustrator and graffiti artist von Schulz recognised his passion and talent for figurative drawing and painting at an early age. He was a founding member of the artist collective and later creative agency Studio Egotrips. In 2015, von Schulz left his familiar paths, agency life, and devoted himself entirely to his art. For over 20 years now, he has been exhibiting his work at home and abroad and regularly publishing in various publications.
The artwork:
An iconographic depiction shows a woman in harmonious connection with nature. Surrounded by flowers and birds, she protectively holds a goose in her arms – a symbol of care and harmony. The illustrative style combines traditional symbolism with modern aesthetics and encourages reflection on the relationship between humans and nature.
Drü Egg
Dominik Rüegg, also known as Drü Egg, was born in St. Gallen in 1987. He studied animation and currently works as a freelance illustrator. Drü Egg is known for his graphic style, which combines clean lines, geometric shapes and a reduced colour palette. Dominik finds inspiration by keeping his eyes open in his everyday life and when travelling.
The artwork:
“IMPACT”
In nature, everything is much more closely intertwined than we often realise. Our actions leave traces – sometimes visible, but often hidden. Even the smallest intervention can have far-reaching consequences: from tiny cell structures to massive landslides. This image invites us to reflect on our own impact on nature. It reminds us that our IMPACT is greater than we might think – and that awareness is the first step towards change.
Stepa Aifo
Stepa Aifo is a muralist, post-graffiti artist. Stepa Aifo works with the theme of legends and modern myths. He creates mystical beings, spirits and helpers. Stepa Aifo believes that art should save us from the truth, so he tries to move away from the literal depiction of reality, and penetrate into a different space filled with new forms of life, symbols, interweavings and clues. The author’s visual style is based on a passion for architecture and archaeology, typefaces and natural forms.
The artwork:
Stepa Aifos work captures a fleeting, transformative moment of connection with nature. At the center of the composition is a dog, inhaling the scent of a flower. As the fragrance enters the animal, the flower seems to merge with it — altering its being, if only briefly. In this moment, the dog is no longer entirely a dog, and the flower is no longer entirely a flower. The artist, as a silent observer, is also changed by witnessing this encounter, attempting to preserve the magic of this transient transformation through her visual language.
Lozada
Lozada is a Peruvian artist with almost 20 years of experience in painting. He began his career in urban art, but over time his work evolved towards abstraction – an approach that reflects his personal view of art. Lozada is convinced of the positive, transformative power of painting and that it can bring about great change. Today, he is one of his country's most outstanding contemporary artists. He is constantly on the move, presenting his work in various countries. His works can be seen in the form of murals, workshops and international exhibitions.
The artwork:
“In this mural, I wanted to depict the development process of the plant world. In my interpretation, I show how a seed forms in the lower area and grows upwards – visible in the roots and their development to the most beautiful appearance: the blossom. It is accompanied by other important elements and processes, such as the spread of new seeds, which mark the beginning of a new life cycle. I believe that the true beauty of nature lies in the constant cycle of life – this work is intended as a tribute to that.”
Nerone
Nerone is a French urban artist now based in Marseille after spending seven years in London. His visual universe boldly combines typography, floral compositions, and urban energy. Active on the international street art scene for over a decade, Nerone has created numerous large-scale murals around the world—from London to Seoul, Padova, Miami, and New York. His work, often luminous and vibrant, explores the connections between nature, humanity, and graphic identity. Nerone draws inspiration from contrasts: between architecture and vegetation, spontaneity and precision, shadow and light. Recognizable by his intense color palettes and generous style, he also develops graphic design, illustration, and art direction projects, and regularly collaborates with brands, festivals, and institutions.
The artwork:
Melting Bloom
In this mural, melting flowers evoke the fragility of nature in the face of climate disruption. Their slow collapse becomes a metaphor for time slipping away and with it, the ecosystems we depend on. As an artist, I see my role not only as a creator of images, but as a witness to the transformations of our world. This piece doesn’t aim to provide answers, but to spark awareness through colours movement, and emotion.
Sowet
Francesco Principato, aka Sowet, is an Italian painter and street artist. His work blends classical tradition with urban culture, drawing from the Renaissance and stylewriting. After studying in Pistoia, Venice, and Florence, he took part in international street art festivals. He now works in Italy and abroad, creating murals, canvas works, and public art.
The artwork:
A young boy wearing a crown of daisies and chamomile stands tall, holding a bouquet. His gaze meets the viewer’s, inviting connection. Soft tones of aqua, light ochre, and sky blue evoke calm. His patterned outfit contrasts with the painterly style, echoing the flowers’ palette. At the base, two oversized daisies ground the scene, while a glowing flower floats above—symbol of nature’s quiet, radiant beauty.
