The huge mural - 136 square meters - themed "Democratic Europe" adorns a striking facade of a building of The Modern Home in the Sint-Lambertusberg neighborhood, brightening up the neighborhood.
With his painting, the Mechelen-based designer and muralist Gijs Vanhee created a powerful synthesis of the young people's different ideas. The work - entitled "The Mothership" - represents Europe in the form of a ship led by the goddess Athena, the figurehead that symbolizes democracy. The overall image emphasizes the importance of nurturing and protecting our democracy - an asset that we in the EU enjoy - but which is nevertheless under pressure.
The mural is the sixth in the series of the #EuropeStreetArt project, launched by the European Commission on the occasion of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU and in the context of the European elections, and received financial support from the European Commission.
Building up to the mural in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, young people from this municipality shared their ideas on the theme "Democratic Europe" during a brainstorming session Wednesday, March 20, at the European Commission buildings. Together with representatives of the Commission and the artists' collective guiding the #EuropeStreetArt project, the young people discussed the importance of protecting freedom of expression and strengthening our democracy, especially by voting in the European elections on June 9. The importance the fight against disinformation was also discussed: disinformation is a threat that can negatively impact democratic processes and social debates. After presentations on these topics and with aesthetic input from the artist collective, the students themselves got to work in small groups with pencil, scissors, glue and markers to communicate their ideas to the artist. Some of the creative drawings they created portrayed the importance of voting and the opportunities it provides, while others warned against spreading false messages and manipulated content, especially on social networks. The role of young people was fundamental in the design of the final work, which expresses their voices and aspirations in a creative and powerful way.