‘I HAVE A DREAM’ – urban art that inspires dreams

Five dozen book spines, each as tall as or taller than a human being, loom over an outer wall of the elementary school Schulhaus Lachen in Chur. Illuminated letters and a giant bird emerge from a glowing open book and ascend into the air. Between the bird’s wings sits a child. The entire scene seems as though it could be from a fairytale, a story, a dream.

‘I have a dream’: Martin Luther King expressed his hope for a better future, equality and freedom back in 1963. Sharing the same title and repeating the sentiment several times, ‘I Have a Dream’ by the Swedish pop band ABBA, released more than fifteen years later, conveys hope, the desire to work towards a bright future and the power of an individual's dreams. In the song, the band gave a choir of schoolchildren–who accompanied the track– the chance to make their voices heard.

The artwork by the artist Fabian ‘BANE’ Florin who was born in Chur in 1982, also relates to childhood. BANE grew up in the immediate vicinity of Schulhaus Lachen. With this work, which he created in 2015, he could give something back to the children in his home town: a wall-sized, colourful and imaginative painting that inspires children to dream big while hoping for a world of opportunities where they can reach their full potential and make their dreams a reality.

Take a closer look at the book titles, as they convey the themes that the artist connects with childhood, home and the city of Chur.