“Know your past to see the future”
11 meter x 8 meter
Spray paint on wall.
Arij Koplaan, Vlaardingen West NL
Tymon de Laat 2024
Project for Gemeente Vlaardingen

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The first wall out of 2 is done for this project. Here i have painted a story about Vlaardingen interwoven with the tales from my travels. Many conversations have been had before coming up with a design that is local as well as worldly when viewed. A combination of local flora and the portrait of Maria Pilapantpa. A lovely lady I met in Brooklyn NY, sitting on the steps of her daughters porch that came over from Ecuador, still dressed in her traditional oufit to help her young one to gather some money to pay for the bills by collecting bottles. She represents the mix of people that also live here in West wijk. Many of whom came to seek a better future, a future one only would seek if the place you left behind is worse than the unknown she stepped into. What for me is really tangible from the conversations I have had at Vrouwenplaats is the togetherness and cohesion within these socio-economically challenged areas and the knowledge that togehter they are stronger. Family is everything when you have little to spare.

A big thank you goes out to Gemeente Vlaardingen, Brigitte Bot, Sophie de Winter and waterweg wonen for making this possible.