SLIM SAFONT, Stay or Leave, Gent, Belgium

This mural, untitled « Stay or Leave », has been done in 2021 in the Nieuw Gent district of Gent, Belgium. It is a residential area of social housing, mostly inhabited by immigrant families, people with social exclusion problems or at risk of poverty. The mural represents the time of transition for many families who come to the Nieuw Gent district, the move to the neighborhood as the only alternative to their situation but at the same time, their desire and hope to, someday, get the opportunity to live in a better place.

While all human beings are entitled to housing, the socioeconomic reality makes this need unmet for many individuals.

The construction and administration of social housing also permits a rebalancing to the poor functioning of the real estate market, which leaves many people out.