News: The world’s largest human chain

WORDS Celeste Jacobs

Street art soars “Beyond Walls” at the International Public Art Festival in a celebration of unity that goes beyond geographical constraints.

The lead up to this year’s International Public Art Festival (IPAF), running from 10–14 February, is nothing short of monumental. A fresco, symbolising the breakdown of political and social barriers, depicts intertwined hands in three parts of Cape Town.

“Beyond Walls” can be found in Sea Point, Philippi Village and Langa, and Swiss-based artist Guillaume Legros, a.k.a. Saype is the creative mind behind the project.

French-Swiss artist Saype works on one of his giant land art frescoes – depicting a “human chain” of intertwined hands – for the ninth step of his worldwide “Beyond Walls” project in Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa, on Sunday January 17, 2021.

“One of my aims is to not only shed light on issues of social transformation, but to promote eco-friendly and sustainable methods of creating art through respecting nature,” says Saype, one of the 2019 Forbes Thirty Most Influential People Under Thirty in the field of art and culture.

“Beyond Walls” is a global initiative – with Cape Town representing the ninth chapter in the series. Precious depictions have taken place in Paris, Andorre, Geneva, Berlin, Ouagadougou, Yamoussoukro, Turin and Istanbul. This collaborative project was brought to life by the Embassy of Switzerland, the City of Cape Town, IPAF and Baz-Art.