Page 15 - FISART2017

International artists painting in Timisoara / The Street Art Festival FISART
has long since established itself
by: Raluca Nelepcu / ADZ

"This year's edition offers a special location - the ancient water supply of Timisoara, which was partly designed
by engineer Stan Vidrighin. The artists are from the Basque Country, Barcelona and the Canary Islands“, says Sergio
Morariu, initiator of FISART in Timisoara. Sergio Morariu is a water resources engineer by profession and a well-
known person in the Banat. He is the father of the EnduRoMania movement, an avid motorcyclist, photographer
and great street art lover. In Miami, where his daughter lives, he got to know and love the street art scene better. "One
of the biggest art events in the world takes place in Miami - the art fair Art Basel. „The Wynwood area was very run-
down until about 2008-2009 and very dangerous. Then it was bought by a property developer, Tony Goldman, who
also developed SoHo in New York and Mimi South Beach. He brought artists to Wynwood and brought this district
back to life“, says Sergio Morariu. Wynwood currently has the largest concentration of street art in the world. "There
are over a hundred art galleries, there are plenty of restaurants and hotels and you can see very fine people strolling on
the street," says Sergio Morariu about the development of the Wynwood district.

Additionally to the Aquatim areas, the artists invited to Timisoara for the FISART also painted the industrial build-
ings of the textile factory Pasmatex, they created Murals in the city center and also convinced the authorities that
Street Art is art in the true sense of the word. However, one thing is clear: not everyone who picks up a spray can of
paint and sprays something on the wall is also an artist. On the contrary: Who only sprays his name on the wall, brings
the street art scene a bad reputation. "Vandalism is a drama in Timişoara, also because, in my view, the local adminis-
tration does not address this problem properly. If a ruin or a house that has not been properly restored is painted, then
I find the protests of the youth who write <Clean Me> or any other nonsense on it is justified“, says Sergio Morariu.
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