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Street artist paints giant bookcase on apartment building that feature the resident's favorite books
Imagine seeing this piece of art every time you go out of the house.
Tania Nemtzidou
06.02.21

Who doesn’t love books? All the bibliophiles in the world know the significance and the value of books, many are those who not only love to read but also to collect them.

Our story today is especially for those that proudly call themselves book lovers and they don’t hesitate to show their love for books.

If you have ever visited the Netherlands, you probably know that it’s one of the most beautiful and picturesque European countries.`

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Flickr

Dutch people are quite intellectuals, they love their art, their books, and their festivals. For the purpose of our story today, we will travel to the beautiful Utrecht, the mini-Amsterdam as they call it.

Utrecht is located in the very center of the Netherlands mainland and it has been the religious center of the country since the 8th century. Also, it is where the Utrecht University is located, the largest university in the country.

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So, it doesn’t come as a surprise why the Dutch street artist, Jan Is De Man, chose its streets to showcase his art and love for books.

According to Is De Man, ” I know the people who live on the ground floor very well. They’ve wanted a mural by my hand for a while. They also wanted to let me feel free in my design as long as it would bring something positive to their neighborhood.”

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With the help of his fellow street artist Deef Feed, they got directly down to business.

After examining carefully the wall of the building he was supposed to use as his canvas, he came up with the idea to use 3D visual illusions for his creation, something he enjoys doing in his art.

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Instagram

“I studied the shape of the house and the location where this house stands in, and suddenly the idea of making a huge bookcase hit me. I love making 3D art illusions on walls, and I like to see smiles on people’s faces and this idea (I thought meanwhile) could bring all this together”, explained Is De Man.

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Instagram

In order to realize his vision, the artist decided to involve the residents of the building, so he went around asking them about their favorite books.

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“Everybody, every age, every culture, every language was welcome. The only rule I set up to participate in this art project was: no political books and no religious books. Besides that, every book title was welcome,” said Is De Man.

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Instagram

The two street artists worked full-time over the span of a whole week, designing and putting together their beautiful mural.

As you can see in the pictures the result was magical!

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“The neighborhood where this work was made is filled with different cultures. And I’ve noticed that this project brought (and hopefully for as long as it lasts) people together without pushing it. They meet each other through books,” noted the artist.

And, it’s so true as books have always brought people together, much like all the arts in general. The mural looks just amazing and it was immediately celebrated not only by the residents of the building but by the locals, as well, who kept stopping to take a selfie in front of the gigantic bookcase!

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Source: Ronproject, BoredPanda

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