{"id":5022,"date":"2021-03-19T12:41:07","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T12:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=5022"},"modified":"2021-03-19T12:41:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T12:41:16","slug":"wide-open-walls-in-a-gambian-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/wide-open-walls-in-a-gambian-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Wide Open Walls in a Gambian forest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It has become quite usual to see murals on many of the walls of our cities. Whether we call it graffiti or street art<\/span><\/strong>; whether we love it or hate it; it is part of the urban landscape. But do we expect to see it in a remote rural village in the Gambia?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wide Open Walls project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some years ago, one of the owners of the eco-lodge Mandina<\/a>, Lawrence (a keen artist himself), decided to use art as a way of bringing some income to the local villages. He invited internationally known artists to stay at Mandina after the end of the tourist season; and to create street art in the most unlikely of settings, the small rural Gambian villages dotted around the area. The idea was that the works would function as a valid art installation in their own right and at the same time promote The Gambia as a tourist destination and thus benefit local communities. Progress was slow at times; but gradually the project, known as Wide Open Walls, has begun to create more and more interest. You can read more about it on the Mandina Lodges website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went to visit one of the villages involved, Kubuneh, about a half hour boat ride from Mandina Lodges. It was fascinating to see the works as they seemed at the same time both incongruous and totally in their right place. They are on public buildings, private houses, walls and even on the trees! And because quite a number of artists have been involved since the project began, there is plenty of variety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can imagine, I took lots of photos. Here’s a selection for you to enjoy – or scroll past, depending on your levels of enthusiasm for street art!<\/p>\n\n\n