Stadstekenaar: Grote Marktstraat

The city artist (2023-2025) Babette Wagenvoort draws convergences on places in The Hague, every month we publish one. This time: Grote Marktstraat.

I wanted to start with a place that I expect all Hagenaars to know, that 'belongs to all Hagenaars' - the Grote Marktstraat is such a place - almost everyone has been there at one time or another and thus knows what it's like to be here when you're here to shop (together) or when you're on your way to or from home/the train station/the town hall/café. Moreover, the main market street is traditionally iconic ánd 'very ordinary', due to the combination of unusual buildings such as De Bijenkorf, more generic shop premises that can probably be found in every city and the people from many different backgrounds who come here.

In addition, I like to start with 'a gathering in a place in The Hague', which as a participant you are not immediately aware that it is a gathering at all. But when you notice how many people/bikes you have to dodge to get from one side of the street to the other, it is clear that there is indeed 'a gathering of people'. How you experience that - that coming together in this particular place - is what I try to draw.