The importance of an open and heartfelt WELCOME (by Pejac for Nuart in Aberdeen, Scotland)

June 16, 2022

By Vidar

Street Artist PEJAC

By PEJAC for Nuart Festival 2022 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The theme for festival was to reconnect the city and its people.

The multitude of tiny figures that make up this doormat come together to stand for every aspect of the WELCOME concept, the meaning of which has been increasingly hard to find recently

Pejac chose the entrance of a building in the very centre of the city of Aberdeen (Scotland). This property was specifically chosen because it hosts many charities as well as homes for vulnerable residents facing social exclusion.

The multitude of tiny figures that make up this doormat come together to stand for every aspect of the WELCOME concept, the meaning of which has been increasingly hard to find recently.

The message is one of dignity, understanding that those who have been pushed to the margins of society can recognise the importance of an open and heartfelt welcome more than anyone. It reframes the potential of those who have been discriminated against and in some sense stepped over by society, and presents them as united and proud.

“Tired of being stepped over” PEJAC

@streetartutopia WELCOME by Pejac From the outside a doormat, from the inside a multitude of stories. At #nuart in #aberdeen #scotland #art #streetart #streetartu

♬ original sound – STREET ART UTOPIA

Created for all those who feel themselves marginalized, foreign and discriminated against

Nuart Aberdeen: It was an absolute honour to have Pejac join us again for Nuart. A mammoth task to produce this piece on a site that was heavily trafficked and open to the public. The front step is located on Union Street outside the Citizen Advice Bureau which also houses and helps marginalised groups in the social housing above.

‘WELCOME’ is more than just a doormat on a Scottish doorstep. Now more than ever, with the realities of Brexit setting in, this intervention brings together an increasingly large demographic of people who stand for all that surrounds the WELCOME concept, the meaning of which has been increasingly hard to find recently.

Created for all those who feel themselves marginalized, foreign and discriminated against, this agglomeration turned into a doormat greets anyone who wishes to be welcomed.