Who is the boy with the butterflies on the mural at REC?
His son was the model for the huge mural between the Roeterseiland campus and Sarphatistraat: artist Tim Rodermans put the finishing touches to the work last week. ‘I hope for moments of peace and quiet, just turning the gaze upwards instead of on those phone calls’
A huge mural can be viewed on the facade of Sarphatistraat number 163 since this week. The work covers the entire facade and shows a little boy surrounded by butterflies and tropical leaves, looking off into the distance towards Roeterseiland campus. ‘The mural has nothing to do with the University of Amsterdam,’ says creator Tim Rodermans. Nevertheless, it is one of the first eye-catchers for students and teachers who enter the campus via Pancrasstraat.
Artist and former gym teacher Tim Rodermans (43) combines different colours, textures and shapes to create these kinds of impressive murals some of which can be admired all over Amsterdam. For instance, the mural at the STRAAT museum in Amsterdam-North is by his hand and he created a mural of one of Albert Cuyp's works - Homage to Albert Cuyp - on the street of the same name. ‘My work often focuses on the connection with nature, in which I try to combine the abstract and realism. For example, I incorporated butterflies and plants in this mural, but also think of the big whale I made in Amsterdam East. Nature images are just really cool.’
Rodermans initiated the project himself a few months ago. In consultation with local residents, he started working on the mural a month ago. ‘Since I was a little boy, I used to cycle past this facade and think “oh, what a gem of a canvas”. This is because there is no air conditioner, window or grille on the wall, nothing at all. That makes this the ideal facade.'
Besides the natural elements on the mural, the little boy cannot be missed. ‘It is my son Djao. He is looking into the distance. With that, I play with questions like “What will the future bring? How will we deal with nature in the future? What place does nature have in the city? And in what kind of city will our children fly out when they leave primary school?”
Rodermans mainly hopes that people will be very happy with his mural. ‘I deliberately chose not to incorporate anything heavy in it, but to offer something light with nice fresh colours. I mainly hope to make local residents, but also UvA students, think a little. A moment of peace and quiet, just turn the gaze upwards for a moment instead of on those phone calls.’
On Thursday 27 June between 16.30 and 17.30, Rodermans invites local residents to come and have an ice cream and see the final result together.
