The city center is richer with a new mural. The artwork stems from an unexpected collaboration between two homeowners associations. I saw De Rotterdame and thought: yes, we can do that too.
Every few months, graffiti appeared on one of the facades at Sint-Jacobsplaats, especially the gable wall on the Goudsesingel side was popular.
Cleaning
The involved homeowners association had to clean the wall multiple times in recent years. Costs: a few hundred euros each time. And in the meantime, the joints of such a wall are deteriorating, says resident Ronald Goijen. But what can you do about it? Well, have an artwork put on it.
De Rotterdame
The residents of Sint-Jacobsplaats were inspired by De Rotterdame, the artwork by Tymon de Laat on the high facade of the apartment complex De Marin, next to the Cube Houses and the Blaaktoren (better known as The Pencil).
Ronald: I saw that and thought: we can do that too. He contacted the homeowners association of De Marin to ask how they had managed to achieve that. And thanks to the help of homeowners association De Marin, Cultuur Concreet, and the municipality, the residents of Sint-Jacobsplaats were also able to find the necessary subsidies for a mural.
The artist collective TelmoMiel was commissioned for this, and around mid-August, this duo completed their artwork. The residents of Sint-Jacobsplaats hope that the artwork will deter vandalism. But thats not the only thing. Gerda van Wijk – Ronalds neighbor – says: I already see people stopping by the work constantly. They take pictures of it. I find it beautiful to see, you just become happy from it.
Jacobus
The mural contains various references to the namesake of the street: Saint Jacob, or Saint James. He is often depicted as a pilgrim, with a cloak and the scallop shell. These are reflected in the artwork.
The artwork was made possible by Cultuur Concreet, the National Postcode Lottery Neighborhood Fund, and the Culture Fund.
Rotterdam Neighborhood News
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