Street art without borders: EU Support helps artists from Sarajevo and Pristina connect
Q’art and Obojena Klapa share many things in common, but their strongest bond is their love for street art.
Q’art is one of Kosovo’s most reputable organizations in promoting street art and improving the urban landscape in a sustainable manner. They use art as a tool to improve life and public spaces, school premises, and playgrounds—or, as they put it, “to improve anything that can be improved through street art.”
Obojena Klapa (Painted Slate), founded in 2016 in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), was created to promote and advocate for the affirmation of street art within BiH society. Their mission, in their own words, is to “paint all old, grey and sad walls and renew all ramshackle facades in Sarajevo, enriching them with our artistic expression.”
Recently, these two organizations—bound by their mutual passion for street art—came together to pursue another meaningful goal: strengthening the cultural landscapes of the Western Balkans by promoting collaboration between regional festivals and facilitating cultural exchanges.
“For us at Obojena Klapa, Balkan Art Fusion felt like a natural continuation of what we’ve been doing for years—connecting people through art, working in public space, and creating room for dialogue and learning. It was important to us that our young artists had the chance to step outside their everyday surroundings, meet peers from other cities, and create something lasting together. And that really happened. Everything flowed naturally, without pressure, but with a lot of focus and mutual respect. Projects like this give us a real boost—because you can see that what you’re doing matters, both for the community and for each individual involved,” say the representatives of Obojena Klapa about the impact of projects like Balkan Art Fusion and how they align with the organization’s broader mission.
Balkan Art Fusion: Bridging Cultures through Urban Expression is a joint initiative led by these two organizations and supported by the British Council. Balkan Art Fusion is part of the Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans(CC4WBs) project funded by the European Union. CC4WBs aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact. Balkan Art Fusion is structured around four key activities that collectively promote local creativity and cultural entrepreneurship through art workshops, exhibitions, and residencies.
“From the very beginning, I felt like part of the crew. It wasn’t just about getting the work done. The atmosphere really made a difference. We worked with focus, but also shared laughs, exchanged experiences, and learned from each other. There was a genuine flow of ideas, without pressure, just positive energy that kept us motivated. What stood out the most were the honest conversations about art, our personal journeys, and why we do what we do. That kind of experience doesn’t just stay in your memory—it shifts how you approach your work going forward,” says Rijad from Sarajevo, one of the participants in the Creative Bridges workshops.
The Creative Bridges series is one of the project’s main activities, designed to connect artists and organizations from Pristina, Sarajevo, and abroad. These workshops foster peer learning, live art creation, digital illustration, and cultural dialogue.
When asked about his experience working with street artists from Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tizer—the British-American graffiti artist known for his blend of graffiti and character-based street art, active on the London scene since the late ’80s and one of the Creative Bridges workshop leaders in Pristina—said: “It was a great pleasure for me to see that up-and-coming talent with the younger artists from Pristina and Sarajevo and their ideas and abilities to produce their ideas on such a large scale in a limited time. It was great working with such talented artists and comparing thoughts to complete this commission.”
The Artistic Transformation art residency in Pristina offers a platform for experienced and emerging artists to collaborate in creating new artworks, developing skills, and translating urban culture into the creative industry.
Meanwhile, Balkan Urban Canvas is a joint street art showcase taking place in both Pristina and Sarajevo. It celebrates the evolution of Balkan street art and features curated artworks, urban tourism products, and related publications.
Altin Ibrahimi, a visual artist from Kosovo who has been part of many of Q’art’s activities, says that the print workshop in which he participated gave him the opportunity to socialize with artists from different countries, share their experiences, and also collaborate on creating illustrations that will be used for printing.
Many project participants share the sentiment that their involvement in the Balkan Art Fusion activities helped them clarify what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Among other things, the project gave participants from both Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina the opportunity to experience the cities of Pristina and Sarajevo through their shared language—street art—and, in doing so, understand the cultural and social similarities between the two countries.
