syrian students paint the longest staircase in their town

syrian students paint the longest staircase in their town
all images courtesy of salmo al-batal

a volunteer team of young syrian students named ‘jood‘, led by architecture academic salmo al-batal, have colorized the longest public staircase in their town, deir atieh. the youthful creative squad took to the streets of their town to paint a vibrantly colored pattern onto the urban steps, creating a three-dimensional arrangement of chroma that brings a spirited atmosphere to the cityscape. the community-driven art intervention has accomplished a permanent painted installation that hopes to pass on merriment and whimsy to local inhabitants, who are currently facing both political and social harship. al-batal says of the motivation behind the project: ‘syria today is the land of blood not colors, so we are trying to make a little difference for love and peace in the war zone’

the finished product, a permanent painted installation

the volunteer team working on the painting

(left) in the midst of the project
(right) the students standing on the completed staircase

before and after painting