Every year, The Crystal Ship sends a contemporary artist on a street art course to then create their first mural in the streets of Ostend. Because there continues to be a gigantic (and almost inexplicable) gap between contemporary art and street art. This year, that artist is Ilke Cop, a former fashion designer who recently won the prestigious Gaverprijs – the most important prize for young, Belgian painters. In Ostend, the Brussels-based artist painted a, as she often does, self-portrait in which she pulls a curtain in front of the sea and nature. It is a reference to both her fashion past and – more importantly – our attitude towards climate change.
