eurotrip | eversiempre

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“Homage to the Past and Future”

The city of Oostende began its great reforms in 1883. King Leopold II earned the nickname the “constructor” for his contribution to public works. These reforms were possible thanks to the large profits that were made from the king’s colony, an area sixty times larger than Belguim: the Congo. In the Congo, rubber was a resource that became precious because of its use in the automotive and bicycle industries. The king imposed high quotas on rubber production in the Congo and forced the indigenous population to comply using coercive methods and extreme violence. It is estimated that during Leopold’s years of domination about ten million natives were killed in the Congo.

“Homage to the Past and Future” is a work that talks about the heavy legacy of the past, about how societies live with the consequences of those that came before and how they build their current reality to be better. The mural is located at the urban entrance to the city, a work that perhaps Leopoldo II had not imagined at the gates of the resort town. Today, the reality is different; diversity flourishes in the city and the image is of a resident of Oostende. Humans learn from their mistakes and the future will always be better if our present remembers and pays homage to the real heroes.

The Crystal Ship is een grootschalig evenement rond kunst in de openbare ruimte en strijkt dit jaar samen met creatief talent in Oostende neer. Wereldbekende kunstenaars creëren gigantische muurschilderingen en fantastische installaties die een artistiek parcours vormen in de binnenstad. Kom naar het Achturenplein en ontvang meer informatie omtrent onze kunstroute!

Tot 10 april kon je op verschillende locaties de artiesten aan het werk zien. Na de paasvakantie blijven de werken nog minstens 2 jaar te bezichtigen. Er wordt een wandel- en fietsroute uitgewerkt die na het festival beschikbaar zal zijn bij Toerisme Oostende vzw.