© Bier en Brood

The phrase ‘kantje pikken’ refers to the local habit of going down to the harbour to eat a fish. The walking route is being livened up with a series of murals, and one of the first will be painted on the wall of Wageningen Marine Research (WMR). It is a very large work of 12x12 metres on the building’s perimeter wall. You can’t miss it when you’re on the roundabout on the busy through road, Dokweg.

The design and execution of the mural is in the hands of the famous Rotterdam artistic duo Bier en Brood (Beer and Bread), who specialize in murals and won the Benelux Street Arts award in 2018. The design chosen for the wall of Marine Research is a composition dominated by typical harbour features such as poles, steel cables and anchors. All in Bier en Brood’s trademark black and white.

Brighten up IJmuiden Kantje Pikken is a project that forms part of the masterplan De Rauwe Loper, with which Velsen municipality is trying to brighten up Ijmuiden. Three existing routes to the coast on which traffic approaches IJmuiden are being smartened up with new street furniture and art. Kantje Pikken marks the 10-kilometer long route along the sea front from the town centre to IJmuiden aan Zee.

The aim of De Rauwe Loper is to emphasize IJmuiden’s raw character. The mural will be put up in late August, and WMR is planning a time-lapse video recording of the process, says spokesperson Cecile Leuverink.