update december 2024

In June 2022, I visited the city of Liège in Wallonia, Belgium. My main goal was to visit the current Liège-Guillemins station, which opened in 2009 and is located in the district of the same name. The station was designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava. The building is made of steel, glass, white concrete and Belgian bluestone and has a monumental canopy of 160 m long and 35 m high. The building was later modified.

From mid-October 2022 to mid-October 2023, work by the French visual artist Daniel Buren was on display: ‘As if fallen from the sky, colours on the spot and in motion’, consisting of a covering of the station dome with transparent adhesive filters in five colors. The two other colors cover the two side panels of the station. I was not there at the time, but the photos of the art installation look beautiful.
(Source: Wikipedia)

During the weekend I was in Liège, I stayed opposite the station. So I was able to stroll past and through the station early on Sunday morning. Just like the day before, I came across homeless people and other vagrants, all – unfortunately – under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. One man was so aggressive early in the morning that he had to be removed from the platform by 4 men and women.

I also came across nice women on the way to church by train, with their African roots neatly dressed for the occasion. A quick photo from a distance and unfortunately no portrait of either of us because the train was leaving.

I also met the young men John and Sanwo, originally from Cameroon. At Sanwo’s request, I first took a portrait of him. Later, at my own request, I was also allowed to take a portrait of John.

We exchanged details so that I could send them my photos.

Unfortunately, even after all kinds of puzzling with the e-mail address they had written down, I was never able to find the correct e-mail address.

It is strange to go back 2/12 years later and see if I can still find them. Still, I would like to do that. I have always been curious about how they are doing, especially the – as far as I could tell – youngest of the two, John. That is why I recently (December 2024 made a drawing with the title ‘pour tous les John’, which also can be seen on my other website here. The intention was not to depict John exactly, but to make a portrait of a young African boy. As a kind of tribute. I don’t know why. Out of the kindness that struck me in John, I guess, and the hope for a good and/or better future for ‘all Johns’.

John and Sanwo

Sanwo

‘pour tous les John’