Street Art as Cultural Revival: Honoring Blaze Koneski and Stale Popov

The project “Street Art as a Chance to Revive and Present the Work of Blaze Koneski and Stale Popov” was organized by the film production company Dream Factory in collaboration with the Center for Contemporary Art – Prilep (CSLU-Prilep) and supported by the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, as part of the Public Call for Financial Support for Cultural Events to Mark 30 Years of Independence.

As a co-organizer, CSLU–Prilep was responsible for the conceptualization, curation, and artistic selection of the street artworks. With its decades-long tradition in public art and muralism, the Center ensured the highest artistic quality and cultural relevance of the project.

This initiative celebrates street art as a contemporary form of cultural expression—one that goes beyond decoration to spark dialogue, memory, and transformation. Street art has become a defining symbol of urban identity across the globe. And in this context, it served as a unique platform to recontextualize the lives and work of two of the most influential cultural figures in North Macedonia: poet and linguist Blaze Koneski, and novelist Stale Popov.

The project included:
•    The creation of two large-scale murals on specially selected public locations in Prilep;
•    The production of two short documentary videos dedicated to the lives, work, and public legacy of Koneski and Popov.
This initiative emphasized the sustainability and continuity of cultural heritage by adapting traditional narratives to modern platforms. It offered a bold, accessible, and visually compelling way to bring historic figures closer to younger generations, while also revitalizing public spaces in the city.

By combining visual storytelling, public engagement, and artistic excellence, the project reaffirmed CSLU–Prilep’s role as a vital cultural agent and reaffirmed the transformative power of art in public discourse.