Street Art Festival 2025: Past Perspectives

• Street Art Festival in Olomouc

• Deadline: June 1st, 2025

• Category: Street Art

• Prize: €1,200 + Exhibition

• Entry Fees: Free

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

Every city tells its story not only through words and events but through the silent, enduring language of its public spaces. In Olomouc, this story unfolds across centuries—etched into stone, cast in bronze, and flowing through fountains that continue to enchant passersby. The city itself has long served as a rich and compelling stage for artistic creation, where the boundaries between urban life and visual expression blur in the most captivating ways.

Olomouc’s baroque fountains stand as living monuments to this artistic heritage. These masterpieces are not isolated ornaments; they are deeply embedded in the rhythm of daily life, forming visual anchors that connect the past to the present. Each sculptural detail tells a tale of an era when public art was a natural extension of civic spirit and architectural grace. They are among the finest examples of how art can become one with the city’s infrastructure—functional, beautiful, and deeply meaningful.

The story continues into the 20th century, when public monuments became vessels of national pride and remembrance. Among them, the statue of T. G. Masaryk on Žižkov Square holds particular significance. More than a commemorative gesture, it stands as a timeless reminder of leadership, democracy, and the values that still resonate within the heart of Czech society. These pieces of public art have become emotional landmarks—points where memory and meaning intersect.

These cultural treasures and the evolving dialogue between art and place are at the heart of SAFE Olomouc 2025, a festival devoted to exploring how public space reflects our shared identity. Over the years, the festival has grown into a vital platform for artistic experimentation, critical inquiry, and civic engagement. This year, its focus turns inward—toward Olomouc itself—to consider the legacy of its artistic landscape and to question how we might carry that legacy forward.

In an age of rapid change and often hasty development, not all new artistic additions to public space maintain the same sensitivity or thoughtfulness. We are seeing more works that seem disconnected from their context—installations that impose rather than invite, disrupt rather than harmonize. This trend has prompted the curators and community behind the festival to ask urgent questions: What makes art in public space truly meaningful? How can we ensure that new works not only occupy space, but enhance it?

The 18th edition of the Olomouc Street Art Festival will open these questions to the public. Through exhibitions, open-air installations, historical retrospectives, and collaborative workshops, the festival will invite citizens and creators alike to imagine a future where every artwork placed in the city is a conversation—between artist, space, and community. It is a chance to reconnect with what makes Olomouc’s artistic identity so unique, and to shape its next chapter with intention and care.

Public space belongs to everyone. This year, SAFE Olomouc 2025 invites us all to reclaim it—not only as a place to walk through, but as a canvas where the city’s soul continues to be written.