In the summer of 2025, the center of Heerlen will be enriched by Op Handen Dragen, a neon artwork by Chaim van Luit (1985, Heerlen).
This striking work, inspired by the prehistoric hand stencils from Cueva de los Manos in Argentina, will be unveiled on the west wall of De Putgraaf parking garage.
Chaim van Luit, born and raised in Heerlen, is known for his research into traces of human activity. His background in graffiti and street art fits seamlessly with Heerlen's rich tradition of murals, while the artwork also adds a new élan to the public space.
Around the unveiling SCHUNCK organizes an opening activity together with the municipality of Heerlen. Op Handen Dragen is not only a visual enrichment. It also symbolizes the connection between past and present, between the street and the Heerlen Rooftop Initiative above and the so-called "green crown" on the parking garage.
With Op Handen Dragen, a monumental neon artwork by artist Chaim van Luit will appear on the west wall of parking garage De Putgraaf in downtown Heerlen in the summer of 2025. The work shows a series of illuminated hands and refers to one of the oldest murals in the world: the hand stencils in the Cueva de los Manos in Argentina. Van Luit translates this ancient ritual into a contemporary form, thus connecting it to the mural tradition of Heerlen as well as to the contemporary visual language of street art.