Mural Art in Betzdorf
Building a connected and inclusive world together in Betzdorf
Together with Institut St Joseph (group elisabeth), the Municipality of Betzdorf and Luxembourg-based artist Alexandra McKell, we created a mural art in Betzdorf that brings across our joint beliefs of building a connected and inclusive world.
Designed by the artist and painted jointly with the residents of Institut St Joseph, the mural art reflects the story of our upcoming satellite system – O3b mPOWER -- from its launch to operations in space to delivering connectivity on land, at sea and in the skies. In addition to painting the wall, McKell also worked with numerous residents of the Institut St Joseph through a dedicated art workshop to teach them how to create a mural. The mural art comprises two walls of 24 and 45 meters long and can be seen as you drive by the Institut St Joseph on rue de la Grotte in Betzdorf.
The mural explores the theme of connectivity and inclusion, and depicts how satellite can positively impact people and communities around the world, enabling them to enjoy shared experiences. Each side of the mural art includes handprints of the participants, representing the organisations’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“We are proud to be part of this project from the very beginning - initiative, which has enabled Institut St Joseph’s residents to express themselves and, in doing so, bring a new splash of colour to our municipality. It is also an excellent example of collaboration of two Betzdorf-based organisations and the local artist community, that went beyond the standard thinking, giving room for creativity and supporting inclusion,” said Jean-François Wirtz, Mayor of Betzdorf.
Christian Happ, Head of the Institut St Joseph said, “Inclusion is an important topic for our organisation and residents. This initiative of doing something creative together, and telling our common story jointly with SES and Alex McKell, is tremendous. It has given some of our residents confidence about their art capabilities and make them feel like they are part of something big, and others the opportunity to acquire new useful skills of painting murals.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the residents of Institut St Joseph and with SES, and for the room for creativity that was given to me at design stage. Space and satellites are inspiring and benefit us in ways that we are sometimes not even aware of, and it’s truly a fascinating subject,” said Alexandra McKell. “I hope that, through this project, we have also been able to raise public awareness of people with disabilities. There is a bunch of incredible talent here, and their dedication to this project was outstanding.”