Cultuur Gent

The cultural service of the city of Ghent
Covering the Uncovered ©Michiel Devijver

Covering the Uncovered

In 2020, Ghent is paying tribute to Jan Van Eyck with the thematic year 'OMG! Van Eyck was here'. For this reason, the City of Ghent has invited several international top artists to embellish the city centre with a work of art inspired by the Ghent Altarpiece.

Argentine artist Hyuro (Tamara Djurovic) was known for her dreamlike, surrealist compositions in which women often play the leading part. The subdued colours she uses in her work give her pictorial style an intimate and delicate touch. She has remained true to her recognisable style for her interpretation of the Ghent Altarpiece as depicted on a façade near Saint James' Church. She died in 2020.

The cloth represented in Hyuro’s mural create a link with the rich fabrics and garments shown in the Ghent Altarpiece. The floral pattern is a reference to the botanical splendour of the polyptych. Hyuro often includes a political message in her art, and this mural is no exception. It is aimed at highlighting the refugee issue and how policymakers deal with this issue.