Cover city hall

City Hall Antwerp

Grote Markt 1, Antwerp

05/2018 – end 2020

City Hall Antwerp

The city hall in Antwerp is currently being restored and expanded. The outside is also being tackled and this had to be packed. Fortunately for us (guides), they had the wonderful idea of hanging a picture of the facade. I already had a few tourists who initially did not realize that there was a canvas hanging in front of the town hall. Gates have been installed on the ground floor since the beginning, where there used to be shops. The covers in front of the gates are illustrated by Fatinha Ramos.

The traveler

The illustrations tell the story of ‘The Traveler’. He discovers Antwerp in the 28 gates or images. He meets famous people such as Bruegel, Rubens and the Dulle Griet; and visits monuments such as the Opera, the MAS and the Port House. He let a rough diamond being cut and reads the book about the town hall in the Heritage Library. The story is linked to the ‘Brieven van Bijou’ (Letters of Bijou), a listening story that I recommend everyone to listen to (unfortunately, only un Dutch). You can find it here, at the Geluidshuis.

Fatinha Ramos

Fatinha Ramos graduated in Porto, Portugal in 2000. Then she came to Belgium and worked here for 12 years as a graphic designer and art director. She then decided to go for illustration. The international character of the city and the town hall is also very important to her. That is why she found it important that every person who arrives in Antwerp can see every gate and feel how it was the first time, just like the traveler. The traveler discovers the city with a lot of admiration and that’s how she reacted when she arrived in Antwerp. Fatinha has read a lot about the history of the city. The traveler shows what is interesting in the city.

The technology she uses is not the most efficient, but it does give a unique result. She draws, then she scans it, she paints it, then she scans it and works with it in Photoshop. Then she prints it and works with the print. Scan back and edit with Photoshop, print, and keep repeating until done.

Parts from interviews with Fatinha Ramos.

Antwerp Museum App

There is a hand with a QR code next to each illustration. If you scan this code with your mobile phone you will be redirected to the Antwerp Museum App. You can then read the story of this illustration. If you want to read beforehand, the tour can be found here.