Since December 2019 - during the Warmste Week, a charity project of Belgian radio station StuBru in Kortrijk - the gateway to the site, a cyclist and pedestrian tunnel, is in a new look! During the early winter, local creatives tackled the Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug (at the Havenkaai). In a later phase (spring 2021) an optical illusion will be placed on the site's entrance road at Lago.

For the first project - the entrance gate to the site (the bicycle tunnel) - artist Larsen Bervoets designed and installed an abstract/geometric shadow and line composition.

For the second project under the Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug, we worked with local participants who not only contribute to their neighbourhood, but could also learn from professional artists who are constantly engaged in designing and experimenting, and in executing their own projects and designs. So not only on paper or canvas, but also on walls!

The next step is the installation of a floor painting on the driveway of the LAGO swimming pool. More information will follow in the spring of 2021.

Positive Vibrations vol. 1

Together with a handful of local creatives, we upgraded the graffiti-overloaded concrete structure under the Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug at Kortrijk Weide.

The aim of this street art project was not simply to 'paint a mural', but to work with local artists, design together, brainstorm, teach them the tricks of the trade and assist them throughout the execution. It was therefore a creative project where team play and cooperation were paramount, which ultimately resulted in a very positive atmosphere among all the artists who worked on this street art project.

The underlying concept of the design comes from a brainstorming session with MC Bullet, Saar Vandenheede and Lisa Gold (Oops & Daizy). This is where all the ideas were brought together, where then all the participants could let themselves go in their own creative way. After this fusion, everything was spread out on a bed of pixels (a link to the Digital Arts of the HoWest college around the corner), with global themes such as fauna, flora and music - a direct reference to the many greenery in the area and the performances with sound system that took place here in better times.

The "Urban Birdies" play the leading role in this design - rebellious but playful birds with a loose screw and cool shoes on - accompanied by gigantic colourful leaves. The pillars of the bridge have been transformed into two mixtapes that provide the music to which all the birdies dance. As icing on the cake, we were visited by street artist Thomas Maris, who was able to unleash his creativity among all the pixels flying about; the previously bare concrete is now home to a number of urban animals!

Music was certainly not to be missed during the execution of this street art project: the creatives' boombox was on almost permanently, which led to visits from local residents and passers-by. The "urban" character in combination with these unique street art works is still very much present, and despite the changing weather conditions and a long duration due to the well-known epidemic, this project was renamed "Positive Vibrations vol. 1", which is also the title of one of the mixtapes.

"Walk on by" - design and implementation by Larsen Bervoets

Larsen Bervoets designed a tight interplay of lines with optical illusions and imaginary shadow lines for this cyclist and pedestrian tunnel that is also the gateway to Kortrijk meadow: a gigantic square where an enormous number of activities take place throughout the year. The painting works took place during Stubru's Warmest Week - an event that gives a heart to everyone who needs it.
When you walk through this tunnel, you see different perspectives and illusions appear. The artwork was therefore also given the title "Walk on By" after a song by Dionne Warwick.

IN THE MEDIA:

• Blits Lokaal: New street art decorates Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug
• City of Kortrijk: New street art decorates the Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug
• HLN: Discover beautiful street art under the Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug

These projects were made possible by a cooperation between Treepack, City of Kortrijk, JC Tranzit, De Stroate, Artkor, and many other helping hands!