S’élever Mural

Beneath a cascade of colors, a powerful image emerges on the S’élever Mural. The mural bursts forth from a wall in Brussels. It depicts a young woman stepping out of her car. Her garage is perched precariously on stilts above the water. Nearby, a man tends to his garden, his house similarly elevated. This surreal world, where everything seems to float above the waves, is the creation of Daco, a Belgian muralist collective. The S’élever Mural is not just a painting. It’s a question posed to the viewer. Is this a defense against the rising tides? A barrier against other people? Or perhaps, a way to rise above the ordinary, to escape the confines of one’s own small world? The S’élever Mural, located at the corner of Rue de la Limite and Rue du Moulin in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, offers a whimsical yet thought-provoking interpretation of urban life by the sea. This isn’t a coastal town. It is a playful reimagining of Saint-Josse, a commune within Brussels. The artists behind the S’élever Mural have cleverly woven a visual pun, transforming Saint-Josse into ‘Saint-Josse-sur-Mer,’ a fictional seaside village. The mural’s title, S’élever, meaning “to rise” in French, adds another layer to this playful narrative. The scene, originally conceived by Ever Meulen and brought to life by Art-Mural ASBL in June 2000, invites us to consider different perspectives on our relationship with our surroundings. The S’élever Mural occupies a prominent 50 square meters, a vibrant splash of color in the urban landscape.