Between October 1 and 30, residents and visitors of the capital will be greeted by 21 advertising panels strategically placed around the Romană and Unirii Squares. The project Public Spam, curated by spam-index.com, is complemented by a video display on the storefront of Cocor Mall, an iconic destination in the city’s heart.

Artists: Nicoleta Mureș, Ema Motea, Anastasia Manole, Dragoș Dogioiu, taietzel ticalos, Marta Mattioli, George Crîngașu, reVoltaire, Cezar Mocan, Thea Lazăr, Irina Bako, Vitaly Yankovy.

Since the 1980s, billboard art has emerged as an important medium in both the contemporary art scene and public spaces. This art form, which includes murals, paintings and smartphone-supported digital displays, serves as a dynamic platform for artistic expression that interacts with its surroundings and often conveys provocative messages. However, these messages frequently face censorship due to public scrutiny, limiting the freedom artists enjoy in private galleries or museums, where contextual explanations can foster better understanding.

When art is located in public spaces, especially without mediation, it transcends the original intention of the artist and becomes subject to public interpretation. In these contexts, the audience’s personal experiences, biases, and emotions shape the meaning of the artwork. This change of ownership – from the artist to the public – creates an open dialogue, where art can provoke diverse, even conflicting, interpretations. Thus, the role of the artist evolves into that of catalyst, provoking thoughts and reactions, while the final meaning is shaped by collective perception.

Artists/Pioneers such as Jenny Holzer, Krzysztof Wodiczko and John Fekner brought art to the walls of public buildings, engaging unwilling participants from the street. Today, figures like Banksy compel the public and auction houses to seek out his work on the streets. The intersection of art and commerce is further exemplified by brands working with artists for street advertising, as seen in the recent viral Yayoi Kusama x Louis Vuitton campaign. This phenomenon blurs the lines between art and commerce, raising questions about the commodification of art.