Mi Lobi Zuid

This artwork is part of the graduation project of student Joris. He researched the feeling of safety amongst women in the area around Zuidplein. One of the findings was that women didn't always feel safe here, and it's known that you feel safer in a colorful environment. He therefor reached out to artist Naomi King to create an artwork in the form of a community project.

Together with the local inhabitants a design was chosen. Then they invited everybody in the neighborhood to participate in any way in the creating the painting. During the month of November a total of 377 people have contributed to the artwork. While some people just wrote their name, or added a sentence in their home tongue, others were there for several days to help paint. The helpers varied from children from the local daycare center to a former artist, who had become homeless after some unfortunate events in his life.

The name of the artwork "Mi Lobi Zuid" means "I love the south" in the local tongue of Surinam. The south in this title refers to the area, which is in the south of Rotterdam. Within Rotterdam, the south has it's own multicultural identity.

The artwork was officially revealed during a festival for all the people from the neighborhood, with many activities and food and drinks.