A building site interacting with its environment through art: Episode 2

For episode two of the artistic prefiguration of the Quatuor project, Befimmo is giving artist Céleste Gangolphe “carte blanche” to decorate the hoardings around the construction site of the future building. This new invitation to meet and share through a monumental work in the heart of a city and a changing neighbourhood will be open to the public until September 2019. 

During this period, the artist will offer a colourful, poetic and symbolic vision of the neighbourhood's future. "I wanted to highlight the importance of people living in harmony with their environment in the city" says Céleste Gangolphe. "I am inviting passers-by on a journey to the boundary between dreams and reality in the company of inspiring giants who will inhabit the hoarding”.

The artist plans to gradually introduce several installations around the construction site. These notably include several frescoes painted on the sections of the hoarding located on Avenue Albert II, Chaussée d'Anvers and Boulevard Baudouin.

Céleste Gangolphe: a multi-faceted artist

After a first career in Paris, at the L'Express newspaper and at Publicis, Céleste Gangolphe recently moved to Brussels to specialise in drawing, painting and mural frescoes. She marries together a variety of graphic styles that allow her to freely adapt her compositions to the particular features of many projects. Most often, she creates giants, sometimes androgynous, which she places in soft and inspiring poses. With a passion for motifs, Céleste works with textures and materials and incorporates textile prints, wallpaper and mosaics into her work.

An art initiative welcomed by the neighbourhood

The initiative, launched in September 2018 in the form of a first “carte blanche” given to artist Arnaud Kool, has received a very favourable response from the residents of the neighbourhood. This has helped to establish a dialogue with local residents and also contributed to making the neighbourhood more attractive.

"The positive feedback received via our teams and the artist increasingly reinforce our goal to integrate our projects sustainably into their host cities and neighbourhoods, right from the ground upwards," says Caroline Kerremans, Head of IR & Communication at​ Befimmo.

A Befimmo carte blanche initiative

Befimmo, a company committed to the revitalisation and constant evolution of the North area, particularly through the UP4NORTH association, is at the initiative of this artistic project.

As part of its construction project for the Quatuor building, Befimmo is giving “carte blanche” to four artists from various disciplines to create a work of art on the hoarding of its building site.

The hoarding will be in place for two years and - with a length of more than 120 metres along Boulevard Baudouin - it is an exceptional opportunity to open a positive dialogue with the neighbourhood through art projects. Céleste Gangolphe's work follows on from the one created by artist Arnaud Kool and will be on show to the city for six months, before being replaced by the offering of a new artist.

Discover the video teaser here: