CITY AS MUSE
Cityscapes have always served as an ever-evolving source of inspiration for artists: modernity and tradition converge here and find reflection in the dynamism, chaos, and interconnectedness of city life.
Cities are shaped by their inhabitants and marked by contrasts: the glamour and the grime, the seen and the unseen. They act as both muse and mirror, reflecting the multifaceted nature of human existence. In their work, artists explore themes of anonymity, alienation, consumerism, and evolving relationships between people and their environments, shedding light on marginalized, hidden corners and overlooked narratives.
In CITY AS MUSE artists capture the essence of urban life as they celebrate its raw beauty and confront its challenges. Their works bespeak a love-hate relationship with the city, calling to mind its magnetic pull and powerful influence. Through their art, we experience the city’s appeal and complex reality, which leaves an indelible mark on our understanding of urban life.
Introduction
The chapter CITY AS MUSE takes you on a tour to discover the diverse and dynamic relationships between art and the city. The artists celebrate the urban landscape as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. They capture its raw beauty, shed light on its dark sides, take a critical look at consumption and alienation, and thus show us the complex interplay between people and urban space.
By making the city their muse, they allow us to dive into the reality and poetry of urban life in a way that is both inspiring and thought-provoking.The works in this chapter attest to a lovehate relationship with the city, which makes both the allure and the complexity of urban life tangible for us.
Jaune
Street artist Jaune is known for his “mini dudes”—small, playful garbagemen that he lovingly creates in great detail using stencils. The miniature figures first appeared in his hometown of Brussels in 2011. They quickly attracted a lot of attention, even though they are quite small and usually positioned below eye level. Dressed in bright yellow and orange work clothes, these small figures enact a playful side of city life. They seem to move along sidewalks or house walls, often in scenes depicting anything but the grueling work of a garbageman.
This is Jaune’s way of celebrating the freedom and poetry in neglected corners of the city. And it is also a tribute to his own biography, as he used to work in garbage disposal himself. Jaune plays with the contradiction between visibility and invisibility, knowing from his own experience that many people ignore the realities known to garbage collectors, who thereby become invisible.
In the exhibition, his “mini dudes” can be found right next to the entrance. This work was created in 2018 outside of the project space opposite the museum. Take a close look: can you recognize the area surrounding the URBAN NATION Museum in the painting?
Isaac Zavale
Isaac Zavale is a painter, print artist and muralist from Mozambique. His art is strongly influenced by his own experiences as a Mozambican immigrant in South Africa. His works focus on social and political issues, and the resilience of people in the urban environment.
Zavale was born in Maputo, Mozambique in 1988 and fled with his family to Johannesburg, South Africa during the civil war. There, Zavale began his artistic journey and co-founded the print studio Prints On Paper.
In our exhibition you can discover his work Abeo's Barbershop. This painting addresses two central themes that he repeatedly deals with: first, the barbershop as a cultural and social meeting place, deeply rooted in African identity in Zavale’s understanding, and second, informal trade, which is a necessary survival strategy for many people who are excluded from the official labor market.
About his work, Zavale says: “My art invites you to immerse yourself in the heart of African culture, to reflect on the resilience of people and to consider the profound impact of informal trade on society.”
INFORMATION
The chapter CITY AS MUSE continues on the 1st floor. There you will find the work of Isaac Zavale.
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"LOVE LETTERS TO THE CITY"
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"KILROY WAS HERE"
