Reclaiming the Landscape as a Common Good in Urbanized Belgium: The Protest Happening Raveel op de Leie Situated in the Socio-Political Context of the Belgian 1960s and 1970s

During the mid-1960s, a part of Belgian population grew weary government’s flawed and untransparent policies for environmental safeguarding urban planning. They argued that landscape was reduced to source economic profit advocated landscape-sensitive approach prevent further estrangement from environment. Roger Raveel’s art wants audiences experience their contemporary environment in new way by envisioning modern objects integrated into his rural Heimat. Yet, when river is threatened economical gain, used protest happening. Despite media attention arguments alternative, ineffective Raveel ultimately resorted lobbying, illustrating Belgium’s faulty policies.