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The nearly 5,000-square-metre mural being completed this autumn in Ülemiste City, whose content has so far been kept secret, depicts the legend of the Old Man of Ülemiste, bringing one of Tallinn’s best-known folk tales into the urban space in a contemporary interpretation, reveals artist Silver “SBoy” Seeblum.

The artwork, inspired by the character known from folk tradition, is titled “The Old Man of Ülemiste in the Lake Office” and, according to street artist Silver “SBoy” Seeblum, presents the well-known story in a new, slightly humorous technological setting.

“This work brings the beauty and greenery of the Estonian summer into the urban environment, serving as a year-round reminder of that fragrant and warm season,” says the artist. According to Seeblum, choosing the concept was an easy decision for him because the myth of the Old Man of Ülemiste has not previously been used visually in the urban landscape. The strong connection to the location in Ülemiste City also weighed in its favour.

Unlike many of the world’s other large-scale murals, which are often created using simplified graphic styles or brush techniques, the Ülemiste mural is realistic in its visual approach and is therefore, according to the artist, highly noticeable to air travellers arriving in and departing from Tallinn.

According to Sten Pärnits, Chairman of the Management Board of Mainor Ülemiste, the story of the Old Man of Ülemiste fits well with Ülemiste City, where something is constantly happening and developing. “Art is an important part of the urban environment, which is why in Ülemiste City we have for years provided opportunities for both well-known artists and art students to showcase their work. By now, the campus is home to a remarkable collection of artworks and installations, but due to its scale, ‘The Old Man of Ülemiste in the Lake Office’ will certainly become a landmark known even to those who do not regularly visit Ülemiste City,” says Pärnits.

The 4,995-square-metre mural covers the façade of a historic industrial building in Ülemiste City, on the side of which is located artist Von Bomb’s mural “Girl with an Umbrella”. Next year, there are plans to extend the artwork by an additional 2,397.6 square metres on the upper section of the building, increasing the total area of the work to 7,392.6 square metres. In that case, it would become the largest spray-painted mural in Europe and one of the largest murals in the world.

In addition to its size, “The Old Man of Ülemiste in the Lake Office” is also unusual because, while the world’s largest spray-painted artworks are generally created through the collaboration of dozens of artists, the Ülemiste City mural is being produced by Seeblum together with the three-member Sprayer Tallinn team, which includes Risto Reiljan, Viljar Seeblum and Marko Sepp.

The street art located in Ülemiste City can be explored in more detail here: https://www.ulemistecity.ee/kunst/

Ülemiste City is the largest business campus in the Baltics, home to nearly 400 companies and providing a work, study and living environment for 18,000 people. Ülemiste City is developed by Mainor Ülemiste, a subsidiary of Mainor AS. Across the campus’s 30 hectares, 170,000 square metres of leasable office space have been developed.

Silver “SBoy” Seeblum is an Estonian street artist, designer, tattoo artist and graffiti artist who has been active since 1999. He is the organiser of the international street art festival “Estonia 100”, under which nearly 60 murals were created across Estonia. Seeblum leads the Sprayer Tallinn team, which specialises in large-scale spray-art paintings.