Back in Belgium!

Five joyful months were spent painting in the Andalucian town of Almuñécar. Different schools, the Aquarium, a bike shop, an amusement park... neverending were the request of my paint & presence, to a point that my return has already been scheduled for next winter season. Together with Sirius, my paw-ssistant, we lived inside of the converted van, hopping from one project towards the next. Most memorable was a fateful reencounter with the best sport in the universe: water polo. Every tuesday 9p.m. it was the highlight of the week! Painting the local Aquarium was a milestone moment in my journey as an artist. In total, I have spent a solid 60 days working the walls, transforming 5 different surfaces, ranging between 20 to 125 square meters. The longest wall was 25 meters long, and measured, at its tallest, 5,7 meters, and is where I spent most of my time working. For the sake of the fishes' health, I did not use spraycans, and focused solely on brushes. This implied making my own colours (and enough of it) with respective reservoirs so avoid remaking them. As you might guess, this results in a slower painting process. Nevertheless, if the brush is big enough, large surfaces can still be covered rather quickly! Most iconic was my portrayal of Atlas, the Ancient Greek Titan, where I played with a sense of scale and mystery, inviting the visitors to take a closer look at the hidden wonders of the Mediterranean. In close contact with local divers and their work with local corals and other species of life, I used their subaquatic photos as references to enrich the mural. Lastly, a shortfilm was made thanks to the help of a local videographer, which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/98bktMaYcRo?si=LtYFHHu3bjOAhm_m During my stay, an artist reached out to me, having seen my work pass by on social media. Intrigued by my aquarium project, she offered assistance if I ever needed some, which I immediately accepted, for I knew how long I would be dwelling in the subterranean tunnels of the Aquarium -- and company was definitely welcome. Franzi's contribution was amazing! Despite being a fairly new to muralism, she is an experienced tattoo artist, has a degree in art restoration (which she exercised in Vienna), works part time on different jobs to make ends meet, and has a funny daughter with her partner. Together, the four of us would enjoy occasional lunches at the Terraza del Acuario. In my opinion, there is no better place to eat in town, and it was conveniently close to my stomach's needs.

The deadline of my departure was delayed often. Initially it was the end of january, then by the end of february, and when it became clear how much work I still had left, I settled on the date of a graffiti festival happening in Belgium: end of april. However, before I would leave, I wished to plant a seed. Inspired by the Solar Punk vision for a better future (look up the wonderful art depicting this vision), where we humans live in symbiosis with the planet and each other by using the tools and technology that are at our disposal (for the majority of humans simply wish to live their lives in peace), I applied one of its principles, called "the box of oranges". Allow me to explain. Instead of buying some fruit for your own consumption, you consider a box of oranges -- the bigger th better. This can be a, individual process or, if you are fortunate, you get people to participate in the costs and effort. With this box you head to your basis, and the next step is about inviting people: neighbours in your bloc, street, or town. Because let us be honest: do you know them all? You invite them to a specific place, your home, your garden, or for example a park, at a specific moment in time, and share the oranges with them, with the intention of getting to know each other. Someone might know about plumbing, and someone else might be able to repair bicycles, and many other skills, and you can create some sort of whatsapp group. And suddenly you do no longer fully rely on big corporations to provide you for your needs, and things can become circular, like ecosystems! Such is the solar punk solution to catalysing community, our human togethernerness. Our times are defined by the lack of community. Digitally "connected" we are isolated in our bubbles, unable to meet each other. This is especially true in a country like Belgium, where mainstream and social media operate as divisive agents, bombarding minds with fear and misinformation. Maybe it is due to the sunny weather (although it rained (too) much in the Iberian peninsula last winter), but my general impression in Almuñécar was that all that geopolitical gibberish has no footing there; people live in the moment. And there, at the Costa Tropical, fruit grows in abundance, like a garden of Eden. Thus I made some partnerships with fruit farmers, offering my muralist services in exchange for a total amount of 90kg of oranges and avocado's, and such I brought to friends in France and Belgium. It was such a joy to see everyone connect, and maybe, just maybe, a new tradition began. Let's see next winter, when I am back!

Outside wall the Aquarium

Orcas swimming in the mural

King Atlas holding the ceiling of the Aquarium

Second outside wall of the Aquarium

The rocks of Almuñécar inspired by a sunset I witnessed