Street Art Simplon

About this artwork.

The alley next to Poppodium Simplon didn't have much special, except that it was next to one of the best live music stages in Groningen and that it might have seemed a bit bleak in the dark. In 2020, several artists were asked to change this. When you walk through the alley now, it is as if you are immersed in a world of colors and figures.

For example, there is an insanely large portrait of artist Jay Reaper of the Groningen hip-hop formation Dope D.O.D. created by artist Michel Velt. His murals often contain powerful portraits and are not only known in Groningen, but can also be seen internationally. In the alley, you can not only see a mural of him, but also a portrait of a woman made in mosaic.

A painting by Klaas Boter can be seen between Michel Velt's works. A woman with mouse-like ears, whiskers, a cape and tattoos looks into the alley with a dog on her lap and a mysterious look. On the other wall, graffiti artist Ph1 has left his mark with two gigantic rodents holding hands and looking at you sweetly from the wall. Ph1 grew up in Portugal and also created several murals there. His fascination with plants and animals is usually the inspiration for his work.

On the same wall, you can find an imaginative world of Sqart with small figures that can be discovered on different layers in the colorful cross-section.

VAAF, consisting of Lotte Masker and Jonna Bo Lammers, created a painting on the ceiling in which they highlight a number of female artists who have performed on stage in Simplon. No-Song Kutkotz, Selah Sue, Giovanca, Skip&Die and Merol can be seen in the recognizable visual language of VAAF. The duo's murals are adding more and more color to Groningen and can be found in several places in the city. You can recognize them from the painting by Aletta Jacobs at the Rijksuniversiteit, the walls at BOEL, USVA or Bax Bierbrouwerij.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Michel Velt
  Lotte Masker
  Jonna Bo Lammers
  VAAF (Lotte Masker, Jonna Bo Lammers)
  Ph1
  Klaas Boter
  Sqart97
  Risq
  Wietje (Rowiet Kerver)

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  2021

• Art type
  Painting, Art in / on a building, Mosaic, Graffiti

• Material
  Paint, Ceramics