Between the 28th of April and the 2nd of May 2014, another meeting of the participants of the international “Res publica reloaded – European public spaces as a source of empowerment” project took place in Amsterdam. The Villa Decius Association is the project’s Polish partner. Young cultural managers and representatives of non-governmental organisations from Germany and Poland learned about the Dutch experiences connected with the use of art in the public space.
The meeting was hosted by the Imagine IC organisation. One of the effects of the visit was also the creation of a mural in one of the south-eastern districts of Amsterdam. The work is the result of the collaboration of street artists – Benjamin Benrakad (the Netherlands) and Jerzy Rojkowski (Poland).
Benjamin Benrakad – street artist; involved in social projects in his artistic work; author of the “Paint your future” project activating depraved young people in Amsterdam and engaging them in cultural and artistic activity. Through street art, he provokes the development of social and communication skills and promotes ethical values among the project’s participants.
Jerzy Rojkowski – graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow; he has over 14 years of experience in creating murals and graffiti to order. He prepares professional wall decorations of interiors and elevations (commissioned by cities, companies, and institutions); they include mainly realistic and illusionistic works. He also creates projects using other styles, such as cartoons, fairy tales, ornaments (e.g. plant ornaments), and others appropriate to the given interior.
The project’s website: www.respublicareloaded.eu
The project was carried out with the financial support of the European Commission. The project and the publication reflect solely the position of their respective authors and the European Commission bears no responsibility for their substance and content.