Miniatures in bootscrapers: how Elke Lemmens attracted American attention
Elke Lemmens is conquering the U.S. with her small art works in Antwerp. In times of corona, she is decorating disused bootscrapers in the facades of old houses - a remnant of times when roads were muddy and people had to clean their boots before coming inside.
Elke Lemmens aroused the attention of the American press, which resulted in a photo session and an article in one the world's biggest press agencies, AP.
"It actually started two years ago, when I decorated the bootscraper of our own house together with the children", Elke told the VRT's local radio station Radio 2 Antwerpen. "The reactions of the neighbourhood were so positive that I filed a whole project with the city authorities. Last October, the project was approved and I got a budget to decorate fifty bootscrapers. Eleven have been completed at present."
"I created a miniature scene at the house of an American lady who is also a journalist. She followed me for one day and made a photo report. It was published by AP last Wednesday, and picked up by various American news sites."
Each scene is different, and there is a meaning behind it. "I ask the families to think about something they are being associated with, or to tell me something about the history of the house, or another personal story. One family had bought a second home in the Kempen, so I created a miniature connected to the Kempen area." Lemmens adds that her work also connects local people, which is a nice extra.
