Figures

From the other side of the square the child is smiling, looking forward to opening his lucky bag, and I feel just as happy I have come across him. In all the towns or cities I stroll around, in France, Belgium or Italy, I get this special pleasure whenever one of these unexpected, improbable encounters occurs. At the crossroads of two dull streets, a man with his back to the wall is looking up at the sky, beaming. In mosaics collages stencils paintings, men women children show up. The street becomes a field of expression and experimentation, the city turns poetic political committed. Watch out for the activist about to hurl his Molotov cocktail! Walking past “Aiutatemi”, you will be moved by the call for help and won’t forget the words. Street artists impart life and meaning to our walls.Time also operates. The posters get torn, washed out, they come unstuck or covered over. Paints get dim, cracked, they peel off or fade away. And these human figures, humble and short-lived, are all the more colourful, adding extra soul to our all too dreary, standardized cities.