Social engagement as a basis for artistic passion

MaRf is fully immersed in the life of Ghent. He lives within the town and he expresses his social engagement in a feeling of solidarity with the people. People as public figures, people in his daily life, the people involved in his great, animated fight for a free society: this is what MaRf gives tangible shape to through his artwork over and over again.

He is doing this in a serious way; he takes from the complexity of our existence the most essential elements. Even better, those elements that touch him and us. That’s the way I know MaRf as a person. You don’t have to be a close friend to realize he’s engaging and modest but especially, he’s extremely passionate. I once called MaRf one of the most social artists of Ghent. Today I still can’t describe him better. As proof, there are a lot of social cultural projects like the statue for Amnesty International near the castle (“Castle of the Counts”), the permanent poetry round in Ghent, his activities as member of H(onest) A(rts) M(ovement) and his project with kiln gods in his neighborhood etc.

Ghent 2000
Frank Beke – Mayor of the city, authorized for Culture and Arts (in the time this website was created).