VERBEECK & BOURGAUX - POLAR FRESCOES

SOME CULTURE...

Laser printing on alucobond (2009)

In 2009, Belgium inaugurated the first fully autonomous polar base in Antarctica: the Princess Elisabeth Station. To mark this event, a graphic work was installed in Belgica metro station, to allow passengers to better understand the link with polar expeditions. This work of art also highlights the role played by public transport in the fight against global warming. Its installation was a decision of STIB in partnership with the International Polar Foundation. Two frescoes, 2.40m high and 92m long, were created by the graphic artists Thierry Verbeeck and Cedric Bourgaux. Hanging on the two walls of the platform, the frescoes retrace the history of the Belgian expeditions to the South Pole organised by Adrien de Gerlache, and also raise public awareness of climate change.