Last year I was commisioned by the city of Roeselare in Belgium to create an artwork inspired by Albrecht Rodenbach, a local poet, rebel and folk hero who is considered one of the symbols of Flemish movement.
My concept for this artwork was twofold:
on one hand, it speaks of idea transmission; a singular idea being sparked into existence from ether, and then having so much charge that it spreads, grows, multiplies and develops into a wave of many, until an aggregate becomes a movement, a revolution, and finally a change. We are united and divided by what we believe the world to be.
On the other hand, it also speaks of us humans coming from the same source as singular beings, but then learning through trials of life that the ultimate craving we all share is that primal sense of unity and belonging. It’s both a need and a law of life on earth. We can only truly live-love-laugh in co-exhistence and collaboration with others, as well as to create and build in a meaningful way that lasts and doesn’t do harm.
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An interesting coincidence about this artwork is the location - the mural talking about unity and co-existence is right in front of a bar where local right-wing nationalists and separatists like to hang out daily. I did not know this when doing the sketch.