Unlike many other cities, Ghent’s street art legacy developed from the bottom-up, rooted in the passion of local artists and their connections to international artists whom they invited to paint.
As you might know, back in April I attended The Crystal Ship street art festival in the Belgian coastal city of Ostend.It was my first time there and I made a point to catch up with all the excellent public art works that have been produced since 2016 in Ostend, a city that is definitely standing out thanks to an enticing programme of contemporary and urban art events.
During my last street art trip, I’ve ended up spending quite some time in Amsterdam.I was there to learn more about R.U.A. – Reflexo on Urban Art, an innovative urban art project in H-Buurt (the so-called “ghetto” of Amsterdam) where the Egyptian street artist Ammar Abo Bakr is currently painting a large-scale mural.
However, I also had some free time to explore the city, which I didn’t know at all, only to quickly find out that Amsterdam is my place to be.
The Crystal Ship 2018 > “The Crystal Ship is being filled”
“It’s nice to see a familiar face,” I said as I hugged Wasp Elder. It was my first time at The Crystal Ship street art festival in Oostende: I didn’t know anyone, I was unfamiliar with the city, and given my notorious social awkwardness, I was feeling a bit lost. All I had with me was a map I got from the Visit Oostende tourist office, which quickly became soaked under the Belgian rain.