Why not do a city trip in your own country? I had never been to Mons before, but since it’s the European Capital of Culture 2015, I thought it was worth a visit.
There is so much to do this year in Mons that it is hard to make a choice. We received a little map at the tourist office and we took a walk in the city, looking for the art installations. This first picture is an artwork called ‘City says no‘ from Inject Love, an artists collective from Gent.
This artwork isn’t located on the map, but I recognized it from an article I once read. The artist is called Manu Tention and he fixes broken things in the streets with red pieces of wood.
‘Biografias‘ from Alicia Martin at the University of Mons.
‘J’ai cru être ce fou qui est moi’, meaning something like ‘I thought I was that fool that is me’. I don’t know the name of the artist. There are sentences like this all over the city.
‘Folks‘ from HELL’O MONSTERS.
How fascinating is this one? It’s called ‘Paresseux‘ by Elodie Antoine. Are they breathing?
This is a work exposed at La Chine Ardente, an exhibition of different Chinese artists in the ‘Anciens Abattoirs’. The entrance fee is €6 but it’s really worth it! This is one of the 25 sculptures.
‘The birth‘, also exposed at La Chine Ardente. On the head there is a video screen where you can see one eye moving. Sorry, I don’t know the artists name, there was so much to see that it’s hard to remember everything.
Two massive sculptures, still at La Chine Ardente. Amazing!
Mural art by BONOM, or Vincent Glowinski. The work is called ‘A Forest‘.
A sort of kite made from colorful strings.
‘Panorama‘ from Atelier PICA PICA, a mosaic inspired by elements that are typical for Mons.
Le Jardin Suspendu is a ‘secret’ garden where artists have carte blanche to make their own creations. There is a lot to discover, like this little turtle 🙂 .
We were in Mons for a whole afternoon and evening, but we didn’t have time to see it all. I’m really impressed by what Mons has done to make the city more attractive. Go to the tourist office and find out what more there is to see and do.
More info?
Mons is easily accessible from Brussels by train. It only takes 50 minutes and from the railway station to the city center it’s a 5 minute walk.
Have fun!
