Street Art: 'Poteaux des Grandes Rames' (The posts of the Grandes Rames)

Between the buildings of the former workers' housing complex 'Grandes Rames', the colorful posts with naive images stand in line. Each soulless square post has been transformed into a lively figure: a girl with blonde locks, a pirate, a fairy with a magic wand, ... Take your time to admire these imaginative creations. This is also a realization from 2020 by the children of the neighborhood on the initiative of the homework school ‘La Page’ and the ‘Atelier du Prince’. Like the colored benches, the intention was to give the neighborhood more color and thus also more cheerfulness.

The construction of the blocks of the Grandes Rames started as early as 1808 by the textile baron Raymond de Biolley. His aim was to provide workers with better housing and to ensure that they lived close to his factories. It was probably the first workers' neighborhood of this type on the continent. It’s hard to believe, but around 800 men, women, and children lived in these blocks.

Jan Rymenams