Verviers

Jan Rymenams

Jean Lequeu

<div>La Page is an "école de devoir". Literally translated, this is a "homework school", a place where children and young people can do their homework after school. In reality, this school does a lot more and, in addition to school supervision, you can find numerous activities such as workshops of all kinds and for all ages, even for the parents, sports, holiday internships, ...<br>In a multicultural city like Verviers, the values of tolerance, respect, solidarity and responsibility are also propagated here.<br>The fresco dates from 1996, a few years after the school was founded. It was created by the Verviers artist and illustrator Jean Lequeu (1948 - 2017) in a playful, cheerful and dynamic style, very accessible to children. As a young boy, Lequeu attended the former municipal boys' school here.</div>

‘La Page’

Maison des Jeunes de Hodimont

<div>The youth center "Maison des Jeunes de Hodimont" has existed since 1978 and already had several locations. The fresco you see here is a replica of the mural that adorned the entrance to the then clubhouse in the 1990s. In 2006, the city of Verviers decided to recreate the artwork on this wall.<br>The picture is clear: a strong figure carries a jug on his shoulders from which the typical graffiti letters of the name of the neighborhood "HODIMONT" flow. The powerful figure and life-giving water represent the urge to renew this old textile district and make it more livable.<br>The connection between all residents can be found at the top in the sentence "la planète est ma patrie et l" humanité, ma famille "(" the planet is my homeland and man is my family "). At the bottom is the translation into Walloon.<br>Artists: Seb, Mick, John, Constant, Mouaad, Alain (Belgium)</div>

Rue du Commerce

Natasa Konjevic

Julien Delmelen

José Carvalho

<div>This 2018 fresco was also inspired by Edwy Plenel's work Dire Nous. It was the fifth in the series and the only one that was also inaugurated by the famous journalist by placing his signature on the painting. During his visit, Plenel admired the work that is happening in Verviers. While he communicates his ideas with words, the inhabitants of Verviers show their conviction with action.<br>The work on the left depicts migrants against a big sun making the difficult crossing in their boats. and bring their rich culture - here presented by musicians - with them!</div>

'Dire Nous' (2018)

<div>The Rue Spintay was once one of the liveliest commercial streets in Verviers in the 1980s. Today it is one of the poorest districts in Belgium. Vacancy and decline have increased sharply, especially in recent decades. Despite this deterioration, there is busy life in the street and there are still plenty of exotic-looking food stores and shops where you can phone abroad cheaply. There are plans to renovate the street, to establish a new trade center nearby. But realization is delayed. And in order not to miss this long pause ("entracte"), the street arts festival "Entracte" was organized in May 2018 by several sociocultural organizations. One of the participants was "La Belle Diversité", an organization that advocates for a harmonious and understanding multicultural society.<br>More than 30 artists and residents committed themselves to temporarily decorate the facades of the vacant houses. The result is a colorful street with a rich Street Art palette of techniques and design. This street alone is a highlight of the trail where you forget your time.</div>

‘Entracte’ (‘pauze’)

Muhamed Kafedžić

<div>"Muha" is an internationally renowned artist. You can find his murals all over the world. It is therefore special that we see a work by the artist here. In 2015, "Muha" was invited by the Maison des Jeunes des Récollets, along with many other international artists, to a seven-day workshop as part of a project on human rights. Interestingly, Muha has a special connection with the concept of a youth home. During the Bosnian War in the early 1990s, the youth center was a stable beacon for him in these difficult times and he learned artistic skills.<br>It is not so clear how this work and human rights can be related to each other, but we find many elements that are specific to Muha and Belgium.&nbsp;<br>Muha is an admirer of the Japanese artist Hokusaï and his depiction of "the great wave of Kangawa" (1831). Muha has the ambition to paint 100 variants all over the world. The fresco of Verviers is number 11. The surrealist painter Magritte has a connection with Belgium and both the figures with the bowler hat and the title are a nod to the great Belgian artist. The tentacles that emerge from the bowler hat refer to an erotic print by Hokusaï. And the fact that the wave comes from the figure's nose is an absurd impression of the artist after he saw a sketch by Monty Python in which Michael Palin blows the Marseillaise with one finger in his nostril.</div>

Ceci n’est pas un Magritte

Roger Leloup

<div>A year after the fresco by René Hausman (1933) was inaugurated, a facade-sized painting of another great cartoonist from Verviers, Roger Leloup, was added here in 2018. It is therefore not surprising that the fresco depicts the famous heroine Yoko Tsuno. The first comic with this Japanese lady in the lead was already published in 1970. The series is still running and the last album dates from 2019. The drawing of the fresco is from "The Pagoda of the Nebulae" from 2001 (album 23).<br>The fresco was not handcrafted by an individual artist, but the copy of the drawing from the album was produced by the non-profit association "Art Mural" (Brussels). The original drawing is transferred to large sheets of tracing paper of 0.8 x 2.5 meters with numerous holes; The tracing paper is applied to the wall and painted. The paint runs through the holes and when the paper is removed, the drawing is on the wall. Then the drawing is updated by hand.</div>

Yoko Tsuno

Polina Stoyanova

Julien Demelenne

<div>These frescoes were placed on the wall bases of two buildings that were renovated by the city in the derelict Rue Spintay. This was done with European funds and subsidies from the Walloon Region. These buildings, among other things, housed the services of the city's "Plan de Prévention". This is the basis for the social workers who are committed to supporting the residents by listening, talking, informing and guiding. The "Plan de Prévention" aims to improve the quality of life for those who need it. The range of services is varied and can range from help with drug addiction, to ex-prisoners through mediation to finding a place to live, providing food and individual counseling.<br>There is no direct link between these services and the fresco unless the quotations from "Dire Nous" argue for a society of solidarity and respect. The cheerful color and the imaginative images underline the positive aspect of this message.</div>

'Dire Nous' (2017)

Françoise Martin

<div>This fresco on the playground in the working-class neighborhood of Pré-Javais was created in collaboration with the neighborhood. The residents were able to give their opinions and make suggestions during meeting times. Both artists set to work with these ideas. The atmosphere is fairytale-like: the face of a woman, as it were, a fairy whose long blue hairs run like water over the entire image and in which the roots of the colorful tree seem to feed themselves. The pink rabbits are strikingly strange. The quote comes from the testimonials of the local residents.</div>

'Dire Nous' (2020)

Philippe Baro

<div>Climate activist Greta Thunberg seems to want to share her concerns with the statue of Our Lady on the facade of the former chapel of the Capuchin monastery.<br>But the chapel has long been converted into a joinery workshop and the owner took the initiative to show his sympathy for the activist in 2019 with this fresco. A similar fresco had also appeared in Brussels a few months earlier. The artist: Philippe Baro (Switzerland) made the work in a few hours with the help of an overhead projector.</div>

Greta Thunberg

<div>On a facade, slightly hidden behind the church on the corner with the "Enclos des Recollets", you can see this fresco, which is also the result of the project "Dire Nous" of the Maison des Jeunes des Récollets. You will therefore meet the same artists several times along this route.<br>This mural shows us the animals from our regions. The artists each did a part and used their own technique such as paint brush and aerosol.<br>The youth center is located at the end of the street, a few steps from here. For more than 30 years, it has been organizing artistic activities for young people between 12 and 26 years old and stimulates creativity and citizenship.</div>

René Hausman

<div>In 2017, one year after the death of the well-known cartoonist and screenwriter Hausman, these 4 frescoes were applied. This place also got its name "Square René Hausman". Hausman was born in Verviers in 1936 and died at the age of 80. Hausman created a wonderful world of fairytales, legends, fantasy figures, animals and nature. His big break came in 1985 with the comics "Laïyna". He would live in the countryside all his life. In 2012, a monograph entitled "Mémoires d'un pinceau" by his wife Nathalie Troquette was published.<br>The four frescoes represent the four seasons and are representative of his beautiful watercolors of nature and imagination.<br>Together with the fresco Yoko Tsuno by comic artist Roger Leloup, the city of Verviers pays tribute to the artists of this genre who are well represented in this city.</div>

Les 4 saisons

Vincent Solheid

<div>At the request of Pierre Brach, project manager of the Quartier d'Initiatives, artist Vincent Solheid realized this fresco in 2002, the theme of which is "multiculturalism". Each of the 29 smiles on the fresco is that of a resident of the Mangombroux neighborhood, who represents one of the 29 nationalities that converge there.<br>Vincent Solheid was born in 1968 in Xhoffraix (Malmédy). Although he follows an artistic training at Saint-Luc in Liège after his secondary education, he has always been involved in drawing from an early age. From black and white he switched to color and matter, from figurative to abstract, but always man is. present in his work. Solheid believes that art should be for everyone and what better way to achieve this than by making huge frescoes? His first fresco adorns a facade in the rue Pierreuse, in Liège. But in the meantime there is already more work on display in Brussels, Malmédy, Liège and here in Verviers.<br>This fresco covers an area of ​​90 m2. 80 kilos of paint was used. It was manufactured in thirty working days and cost 8,676 Euro.</div>

Sourires

Davor Mulalic

<div>This is the first fresco realized as part of the "Dire Nous" project. In the meantime (2020) six have been realized. The project follows a tradition in Verviers, where multiculturalism is overwhelming. Earlier, the city of Verviers launched the "Fiers de nos couleurs" campaign, which became a finalist for the "Egaltitude" prize of the Walloon Region. Today there is the new concept "Dire Nous", but the objectives remain the same: to initiate a positive discourse about Verviers and its inhabitants and to promote a "Verviers identity" that everyone can be proud of. That is why the word "Nous" ("We") is very important in this project. The fight against discrimination, racism and xenophobia and the promotion of social cohesion, good living together and acceptance of others regardless of their differences are priorities for the city.<br>The essay "Dire Nous" by the French journalist Edwy Plenel is a fascinating starting point for this project. This work, published in 2016, a year after the attack on Charlie Hebdo, is a plea for cooperation and against hatred. Plenel is co-founder of Mediapart, an independent online newspaper. He previously published "Don Quichotte: Le Droit de savoir" (2013) and "Dire non" (2014).<br>This fresco, 35 meters long and more than 4 meters high, consists of rather poetic images in the center, between on one side with 'Vert et Vieux' a reference to the history of Verviers and on the other a quote from 'Dire Nous' .</div>

'Dire Nous' (2016)

Roland Materne

<div>This fresco by artist <em>Roland Materne</em> is located in the "<a href="https://www.paysdevesdre.be/decouvrir/musees/ALD-01-00098I&amp;type=11/">Maison de l'Eau</a>". It dates from 2004 and shows images from Verviers' rich industrial past, when the city was a world leader in wool processing. Not only are the aspects of the production process and trade presented here, but also the importance of water as a source of life in the past and for the future is colorful and fresh. Roland Materne was former director of the Verviers Academy of Fine Arts. One of his best-known works was an enormous tile picture on the edges of Vesder. But due to neglect, this special work of art has been lost.</div>

L’eau, source de vie

Yassine Latrache

<div>The playground is managed by the non-profit organization "Terrain d'Aventures". This organization was founded in 1976 after it was established that there was an acute lack of reception facilities and green play areas for young people. Places were created in the city, open to everyone and where young people can experience their activities in respect for others. In addition, an attempt is made to impart to the young people the following 'KRAKS' values: vigorous, active, critical and solidarity.<br>This fresco was conceived in 2020 by 14 young people and executed by artist: Yassine Latrache (France).<br>The image represents a figure, half human, half robot and who is connected to the world through a network of connections. The theme expresses the youth's concern for an uncontrolled advance of artificial intelligence to the detriment of nature and its resources.</div>

Medi Act '19

<div>In 2020 these benches were painted by children of the neighborhood. It was an initiative of the homework school "la Page", the "Atelier du Prince" and the city. Here, too, the intention was to bring more color to this old industrial district of the Pré-Javais. The "Atelier du Prince" is an artistic creation space for young and old, for beginners and advanced. Workshops are organized on, among other things, papier mâché, beads and puppet theater. Since 2019, the studio has been housed in a former textile factory. After all, this district was one of the most bustling industrial zones in Verviers.</div>

Bancs colorés

<div>Between the buildings of the former workers' cité Grandes Rames are the colored posts with naive images in rows. Each soulless square pole has been transformed into a lively figure: a girl with blond locks, a pirate, a fairy with a magic wand, ... Take the time to admire these fanciful creations. This is also a realization from 2020 by the children of the neighborhood on the initiative of the homework school "La Page" and the "Atelier du Prince". Just like the colored benches, the intention was to give the neighborhood more color and therefore more cheerfulness.<br>The construction of the blocks of the Grandes Rames was started in 1808 by the textile baron Raymond de Biolley. His intention was to provide workers with better housing and, above all, to ensure that they lived close to his factories. It was probably the first working-class neighborhood of this type on the continent. It's hard to believe, but these blocks were home to some 800 men, women, and children.</div>

Poteaux des Grandes Rames

<div>This fresco is located on the wall of the playground. The initiators of the neighborhood want to express their concern for a diminishing respect for Human Rights, here as well as elsewhere in the world. Because the neighborhood youth center, the "Maison des Jeunes des Récollets", is convinced that young people can better integrate into society through artistic expression, a creative project on the theme of human rights was set up. Supported by the city of Verviers and other organizations, the project was awarded a grant and went European. There was an international exchange project for artists and this work of art was the result of this collaboration in 2017.</div>

Liège

Stavelot

Aachen

Valkenburg

Maastricht

Heerlen

<div>Street Art in Verviers has its own character that, unlike in other cities, is closely linked to the city's identity. For several decades now, the city has made a lot of effort to support this multiculturalism and to have it live together in a tolerant way, even in solidarity. Many frescoes have grown out of concern for human rights, equality and solidarity, far from hatred and fear. <br>More <a href="https://www.verviers.be/actualites/2020/parcours-de-fresques-street-art-a-verviers">information</a>.</div>

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