Scratching the Surface

Scratching the Surface covers the wall of the Léopold playground at Rue Léopold 27 in central Brussels, extending the dialogue opened by Multitude out of the museum and onto the street. Carved over roughly a week with jackhammers, chisels and acid to coincide with Vhils's solo exhibition at MIMA, the permanent mural connects the institution to its surrounding neighbourhood. A discreet carnation is worked into the image, recalling Portugal's 1974 Carnation Revolution and its values of dialogue, freedom and democratic participation. Inaugurated on 26 June 2024, the mural embeds these historical references directly into the site, continuing the dialogue between MIMA and the street that Multitude first opened.