the ghost village doel in belgium – street art & graffiti

a visit to the village of doel (east flanders, belgium). this village on the schelde river once had 1,300 residents. now only a handful of people are holding out here, putting up a dogged fight against the threat of eviction due to the expanding port of antwerp.
well-known belgian artists have found a unique backdrop for their work here, as the village has already been (semi-) abandoned for years. some of the residents consider them allies in the fight against eviction, but others see them as vandals, and formed a citizens’ watch.
there have also been huge illegal parties in the village, so that the authorities have stepped up their patrols

january 2011: we visit the village just before the sun goes down. everything looks normal from afar, though it’s noticeable that there isn’t a trace of traffic far and wide. approaching the village, we have a foretaste of what’s to come: an isolated farm with bricked-in windows and graffiti-covered walls. a bit further, we find a villa with smashed windows, but it’s decorated with comic figures by bue. at the entrance to the village, we’re welcomed by a house-high crow by roa, and the art continues toward the village center, which leaves a post-apocalyptic impression: an abandoned school, church, gas station, etc.
a few houses are still inhabited – the rest all have “no trespassing” signs on the doors.
i almost forgot, a few things are still in operation here: the local football club (from far away, you can hear the cheering at a football match) and a bistro, which unfortunately we couldn’t visit as it’s closed.