Icarus (1991) Hans Wap

This mural by artist Hans Wap is a gift from the Vereeniging Maatschappij voor Volkswoningen on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the international organization of Amnesty International. Wap had to submit the design in two and a half weeks. Amnesty, as the recipient of the gift, had to give its approval and the neighborhood also had a say. The design was a linocut of 70 by 100 cm, which Wap made in four different shades. The blue variant was chosen. In the center is the Icarus figure, a man with wings. Above and below him are spinning objects and from left and right he is threatened by rows of shark teeth. You could say: the world spins, turns and does and the individual has to find a landing place in between. That is in keeping with the work that Amnesty does, caring for the individual in the whirlwind of the world. Above the ornamental frame is a Hermes head. Source: Nice from far (Rotterdam, 2007).