Sugarterrain: From Factory to Street Art Gallery
- Justīne Kozlovska
- Oct 3, 2024
- 2 min read
In celebration of The Kladmuur Foundation transferring its collection of Groningen graffiti to the Groningen Archives, a series of events are happening around the city. These include a city graffiti tour, an impressionistic video installation about Groningen’s graffiti and more. These events aim to educate visitors about Groningen’s dynamic and vibrant street art.
Street art has played a significant role in shaping the visual landscape of Groningen, contributing to the revival of forgotten neighborhoods and their transformation into cultural hotspots.
One notable example is Sugarterrain (Suikerterrain in Dutch), located on the outskirts of the city. The once grey and industrial neighbourhood, home to Groningen’s former sugar factory which closed in 2008, has gained a splash of color and liveliness through street art. Bright murals and graffiti art cover the factory’s old brick walls, giving the area a touch of vibrance and a unique charm.
The Role of Street Art
Dr. Gwenda van der Vaart, an assistant professor at the Department of Spatial Planning & Environment at the University of Groningen, acknowledges the multi-dimensional benefits of street art.
“It [street art] can beautify public spaces, but it goes beyond aesthetics,” she says. “It is also about involving people and working on a project together, which can help with social interaction and cohesion. It creates a sense of community,” van der Vaart told The Glass Room.
Some Sugarterrain residents admire the community aspect that street art creates and incorporate designs in their own homes. Opposite the factory stands a set of colorful shipping containers covered with graffiti. The owner, Mijnske Sival, an architect who uses the space as her studio, says she wanted to reflect herself on the container’s exterior.
“I have clothes in a lot of different colours. So I thought, why not do it for my property?” she says, laughing.
Sival appreciates the feeling of community in Sugarterrain, amplified by the love for street art that local residents share. “A lot of creative people have been hanging around here, young travellers from Europe, but actually from all over the world. They have brought their vision and now we all extend it,” she says.
Art or Vandalism?
Opinions regarding street art as a tool for urban revitalisation can differ. Dr. van der Vaart explains that, “some people think street art is very beautiful and some see it as vandalism.”
When talking about graffiti tags, a simplistic drawing of an artist’s signature, the professor says,“ A few might ask ‘is it legal?,’ and think it should be removed.”
While some residents, like Vlad, a Romanian student, thinks that street art makes Sugarterrain more interesting, others disagree. Laura, who has been living in the area for two months, shared her frustration, “It's just not very visually appealing. It makes the neighbourhood feel cheaper.”
Laura is sceptical regarding street art’s potential for urban transformation in Sugarterrain. “We already live in not a very pretty place. We have the factory and stuff. Why make it more ratched?” she asks.
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