Two new murals represent Special Olympics in Breda and Tilburg

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This month’s Special Olympics are in Breda and Tilburg. A fitting mural was unveiled in both cities on Friday 31 May. Artist Brenda van Vliet put the finishing touches to the colourful artwork in Breda.

From 14 to 16 June, the sports tournament Special Olympics will take place, organised for athletes with a mental disability. Breda and Tilburg are proud of this unique sport event and are eternalising it with two murals.

Outsider art
For us, this was a unique opportunity to work with artists who have a disability, also known as ‘outsider art’. At Atelier Galerie Herenplaats in Rotterdam, dozens of artists with mental disabilities work every day. We asked them to create a design.

From several sketches, the proposals by Brenda van Vliet and Remco Roggeveen were selected. Brenda worked out the design for Breda, Remco for Tilburg. Sport and interaction are central to both.

Mural in Breda
The mural in Breda can be seen on the premises of sports school BRESS and shows three gymnasts. Artist Brenda van Vliet made the design, artist Marijn Gronert then painted it on the wall. Only one hand was left empty. “It’s very cool to see the painting in real life now. And of course super nice that I get to finish the painting,” Brenda says. Painting used to serve as a means of communication for her, now it is mainly something she does because it makes her happy.

Visibility
At the unveiling, alderman Eddie Förster expressed his enthusiasm about this Blind Wall: “It ensures that the Special Olympics remain visible in the city even after the event. And as far as I’m concerned, it really does. After all, the impact of the event is very big. It makes Breda associations think about inclusion. In this way, Breda is increasingly becoming a city where sports are accessible to everyone. Here, everyone can participate.”

Remco’s work can be seen on the grounds of Amarant on Bredaseweg in Tilburg. He drew inspiration from hockey, a sport he himself previously competed in during the Special Olympics.

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