The Breathing Wall

Local Context and Problem

TBC Bank Uzbekistan is committed to driving positive environmental change through initiatives of the brand’s ESG Strategy ( https://www.tbcbankgroup.com/esg/our-esg-strategy/, https://tbcbank.uz/uz/csr-project/ ). In Tashkent, one of the big environmental challenges is air quality. The city has repeatedly ranked as the most air-polluted in the world according to the global Air Quality Index ( https://www.aqi.in/ , https://uznews.uz/ru/news/79332 ). Invisible like the air, even when polluted, the problem is not discussed by citizens living in it. As a result, air pollution remains ignored, while media and activists cannot speak openly about ecological situation because of political risks.

Idea

Step 1:

To make the invisible problem visible and spark public dialogue, we created a nine-floor mural that purifies the air like a 250-square-meter forest. We located the “breathing” artwork by a local artist in the Sergeli district — a rapidly growing, densely populated industrial area of Tashkent.

Artist

We collaborated with a popular Tashkent street artist Nadezhda Riksiyeva whose artworks show up on city walls and reflect the modern Tashkent identity. Together with Nadezhda we developed the art concept, which she then transformed into the air-purifying mural.

Technology

The mural is created with an innovative paint that uses Airlite technology ( https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/255161-nontoxic-ecopaint-is-a-smart-way-to-improve-air-quality , https://airlite.com/en/info/certificazioni ). Harmful particles contact the mural’s surface and under sunlight the paint breaks down polluted air into oxygen and harmless compounds. Rain cleans the surface and the process starts again. Each square meter painted with Airlite purifies the air as effectively as a square meter of forest.

Step 2:

The mural became a daily visual reminder of the air pollution problem, featuring a QR code linking to urban eco-initiatives ( https://mural.tbcbank.uz/ ). For the mural opening, we invited eco-activists and media to a workshop, where they covered the event and started an eco-dialogue. We also sent interactive kits with the same air-purifying paint to popular bloggers, who talked about the initiative with their audiences.

Result

The air-purifying mural generated 89 media publications, 1 700 000 views, and reached an audience of 36 000 000. Now visible, the issue of air quality gained broad public attention in both news and social media.

Release Date: 18.03.2025

Media Channels

Outdoor (Mural)

Brand-owned channels: website and social media

Influencers and bloggers

Digital News Media Platforms