Art to bring people together and honour our community. Our airport likes to put Belgian artists in the spotlights, but this time the limelight is on us.
Matthias Michiels, a young graffiti artist from Zottegem, Oost-Vlaanderen, painted a giant mural near the entrance to Brussels Airport that represents the various jobs of the airport staff, seen from a plane window!
An idea from the unions...
The bright and colourful mural was created on the initiative of the socialist and Christian unions. With this work they wish to support and encourage all of the airport staff in these difficult Covid-19 times.
...and the Royal Palace
But that’s not all! When you walk into the departures hall, you will discover a monumental charcoal drawing of four by three metres near the elevators. The woman on horseback in a mountain landscape is a work by Rinus Van de Velde. It is called ‘Bringing people together…’ and deals with themes such as connection, travel and the impact of the pandemic on our social life. At the same time, it symbolises the resilience of mankind.
"Bringing people together..." is part of the national project "Art Reconnects Belgium". A project that was developed by the art centre BOZAR on request of the Royal Palace to reconnect the Belgian citizens and bring hope, despite the fact that the festivities of 21 July had to be cancelled as a result of the pandemic. Bringing people together…’ was a gift from Rinus Van de Velde and Tim Van Laere Gallery.
The other works of the "Art Reconnects Belgium" project can be discovered in Anwerp, Brussels and Charleroi.