Central to the mural ‘Lang leve de vrijheid’ (‘Long live liberty’) is the tree of liberty that was placed on the Grote Markt in 1794. The tree symbolized reform; the arrival of Batavian and French soldiers made many citizens of Nijmegen believe a new era had come upon them. The mural references events and developments from this Batavian-French period, such as the inclusion of Catholics in the city council, the demolition of the Valkhofburcht and King Louis Bonaparte receiving the keys to the city of Nijmegen. The Palestian-Syrian-Dutch artist Oussama Diab places this historical story in a wider context regarding the meaning of freedom.
The mural does not only brighten up an underpass in the inner city of Nijmegen but also brings an invisible episode of Nijmegen's city history back into view. Furthermore, the artwork encourages reflections upon the meaning of freedom.
Waalpaintings
This mural is the result of a collaboration between Huis voor de Binnenstand, the Meldpunt Graffiti (Municipality of Nijmegen) and Waalpaintings (Radboud Institute for Culture and History). The artwork is one of fourteen Waalpaintings. The collection of artworks represents the hidden past of the city of Nijmegen, from the Roman period to the present day. The murals are made by local artists and are located in spots that have a direct connection to the historical event(s) depicted. More information about all Waalpaintings can be found on https://waalpaintings.nl/.
On Friday 3 October at 3:30 p.m., Nijmegen councillor John Brom will officially open this new Nijmegen mural. Come and have a look!