The issue: Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital, faces significant environmental challenges despite its scenic beauty, primarily in landfill waste management. Much waste ends up in landfills despite efforts to promote recycling and waste reduction. This contributes to environmental pollution and poses risks to both public health and natural ecosystems. And non-biodegradable materials in landfills contribute to soil and water pollution. Recent improvements have seen car-free zones and more green infrastructure – but waste remains a major concern.

The mural: In his mural “Choose”, Cibo plays with the problem of garbage accumulation and food waste in a unique way. Seen from a distance, the mural looks like an optical illusion about the apparent unity between the wastefulness of human existence and the limited planetary resources. In September 2023, Cibo spent several days bringing to life a stunning mural, “Choose”, near Šiška Cinema in Ljubljana, Slovenia. A blend of vibrant fruits and vegetables with discarded single-use plastic and packaging creates a powerful visual juxtaposition. 

Carlo Campanile, Ambassador of Italy in Slovenia: "It was an honour and a pleasure to participate in the opening day of Cibo's mural in Šiška. I hope that both Ljubljana residents and tourists will enjoy the painting. I strongly believe in the potential of these new forms of art expression in raising awareness among young generations about issues and topics such as access to food, the fight against wasted food, and the fight against all forms of intolerance and discrimination, which are the fundamental messages of Cibo's art."

Fedja Šičarov, academic painter and street artist: "We presented young people with environmental protection topics and contemporary issues in society, related to discarded food and waste packaging, as well as various examples of engaged and socially critical street art. By making their templates and adopting them, the participants were able to get to know the topic and gain insight into how to express their observations and certain problems in society that they would like to address and change through art. Mainly by getting to know different techniques in the field of creating street art."

These workshops and murals are made possible thanks to the generous support of the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme