Amateur Artist Turns Apartment Building into Urban Art Gallery

By Spooky on November 21st, 2012 Category: Art, News

Dmitry Bochkarev, an amateur artist, from Moscow, Russia, has turned an ugly communist-era apartment building into a colorful art gallery, by covering the walls, staircases and doors with various painted artworks.

While most graffiti artists sneak around to find places where they can exercise their artistic talents, amateur artist Dmitry Bochkarev asked people’s permission before he began painting on their walls and doors. It all began 17 years ago, after Dmitry experienced clinical death. He had a vivid dream that helped him discover his talent for painting, and from then on he started painting the inside of his apartment building, in Moscow’s Biryulyovo district. Until then, the place was just a grey reminder of the Soviet era, and a victim of littering and ugly graffiti. But once colorful cartoon scenes and nature-inspired landscapes started appearing on the walls, it all stopped. Not even vandals have had the heart to ruin Bochkarev’s artworks, and neighbors say it’s the best thing that ever happened to their community. Residents started smiling to each other again, and they became so proud of their art-covered building that they even organize viewing tours for friends and family.

Photo: ITAR-TASS

Dmitry Bochkarev has spent the last few years painting away on the inside of the 12-storey building, using mostly newspapers, books and magazines for inspiration. His collection of urban works of art includes popular cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, medieval castle walls painted around apartment doors, nature sceneries, and even spaceships. There are still a few gray walls left to cover up, and Dmitry is currently brainstorming with the residents of the building, for ideas on his next masterpieces.

Photo: ITAR-TASS

The idea of turning a grim old communist building into an urban art gallery is pretty cool, and it’s apparently turning into a trend in former Soviet Union countries. Just a few months back, I wrote a post about Ukrainian artist Valery Haroun, who did the same thing in an apartment building in Odessa.