This year I landed in Antwerp for the first time, and I liked it pretty much.
Only stayed for 3 days, but it was enough to get a taste of its impressive cultural diversity. Typically Belgian, this city has a special place for street art in its heart. We didn’t get to hunt for specific murals, but we enjoyed some majestic casual encounters.
This good boy (there’s also another one on the right, outside the photo 🐎) was painted by the local artist Joachim. It’s located in the Diamond district, and the commissioner (Antwerp City Hall) suggested “Diamonds” as a theme for the murals.
The artist, however, decided to paint two animals inspired by cave paintings. There is a subtle connection to diamonds though: the cave drawings were mostly created using charcoal, thus carbon, which is basically what diamonds are made of.
Joachim also wanted to involve the community in his process: he invited kids from two neighboring schools to color the animals with their handprints, so there’s another reference to the techniques of our ancestors.
