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Inauguration of the mural "Innovative Europe": European stars shine in Charleroi

The inauguration of a mural inspired by the theme "Innovative Europe" took place on April 8, 2024, at the A6K-E6K site, in the presence of the Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, and the Secretary of State for Recovery, Thomas Dermine.

Financed by the Representation of the European Commission in Belgium and supported by A6K-E6K, this mural is the result of participatory dialogue on the theme of innovation with local youth who inspired the Belgian artist Sam Billen. It is the first of a series of seven murals that make up the #EuropeStreetArt project. These will be created in different cities and municipalities of Belgium during the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2024.

The inauguration of the mural on April 8 was part of a visit focusing on the achievements of the European and Belgian recovery and resilience plans in the Charleroi region, organized by the Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments, Thomas Dermine.

A collaborative creation process between a Belgian artist and young people

The mural is the result of a meeting and collaboration between a group of young people from Charleroi and a partner specializing in street art creation. In late February, about ten young professionals and students from Charleroi visited A6K-E6K, a training center and hub of activities, businesses, and startups supported by the Belgian recovery and resilience plan. On site, they developed their vision of an innovative Europe following a presentation on Europe's support for research and innovation (through the "Horizon Europe" program and in specific areas such as digital transition, space, and artificial intelligence). It was these ideas of evolution, movement, transformation, and connection, whether related to digital or space exploration, that resonated with the youth, as well as the comic book style to evoke the close link between the city of Charleroi and comics. And it was the Belgian artist Sam Billen who, inspired by these exchanges, designed this magnificent mural.

The mural: an innovative street art piece

The mural covers an area of 72 sqm. It took five days (from April 1 to 5) for Sam Billen to complete it. It represents innovation, evolution, and progress through the change in our worldview and the archetype of the "man looking towards the future." Like a comic strip, this dynamic composition depicts three characters moving from left to right towards the future. The color palette evokes the European flag. While the work focuses on innovation, it was also created using innovative tools such as artificial intelligence and digital drawing.