Mural during Summer@Lauwe festival
During the summer in Menen, Belgium, there's an exciting event happening called Summer@Lauwe. This festival, known as "the most joyful festival in Menen", brings together fun street performances, live music, tasty food trucks, and more.
For the 2023 edition of the festival they asked me to be part of the festival’s lineup. The job was simple: paint a mural to entertain the anticipated 10.000 visitors.
The Invitation
My journey to be a part of this festival's lineup began with a surprising connection. It all started with one of the festival's volunteers, who just happened to be a fan of my YouTube channel that hatched the idea of inviting me to the festival.
And so I received a message from the organization with the offer to paint a mural on three big panels that they would set up in the heart of the festival's lively atmosphere.
I excepted the job :)
The Design
Transforming those three substantial panels into a captivating work of art under the watchful gaze of a live audience definitely got me a bit nervous. Let’s say, a meticulous preparation felt not only justified but necessary.
After a lot of thoughtful consideration on the design choice, I ultimately settled on an artistic depiction of an eagle's head. A decision driven by a multitude of reasons.
First reason was its inherent visual appeal. The eagle head is an absolute eye catching concept. Its unmistakable focal points - the piercing eyes and beak - will stand out vividly even from a far distance within the crowd.
Furthermore, starting the painting process with the eyes and beak, not only ensures that the core essence of the artwork is immediately conveyed to the audience but also allows me to manage any anticipatory nerves that might arise during the live performance. Tackling the most difficult elements of the artwork when the surroundings are less crowded sets the stage for a more relaxed and enjoyable experience as the streets become livelier.
Without a doubt, this design choice felt tailor-made for this unique mural endeavour.
The Performance
Armed with my arsenal of spray paints and strategic approach, I embarked on this artistic challenge on a day that was gifted with sunshine. The festivities were scheduled to begin at 6 pm, and would come to a close at 10 pm. For an artist crafting a mural, this timeframe felt like a mere blink of an eye.
However, as the first hours of the painting process unfolded, it became clear that this day would not be the nervous heavy-duty day of painting I had prepared for. During my performance, many enthusiastic people came up to me sharing their admiration, asking questions or giving me encouragement. This was a warm surprise and it completely transformed the day into a magical experience!
Before I knew it, my nervous face expression had made place for a big smile and I was painting freely. It still was a close call to deliver the artwork before the sun would dip below the horizon and the technical execution could be a bit cleaner, but I made it and loved every second of it!
Final words
Each year, the festival tries to inject new acts to keep the excitement of its visitors alive. Previous edition, a 3D artist joined the festival's line-up, this year it was me and next year another artist will probably entertain the crowd. So in 2024 I will most likely not be there as a performing artist, but I might just visit as a spectator to enjoy the festivities as it truly is “the most joyful festival in Menen”!
