Starting in the mid-1990s, Philippe Vandenberg began incorporating words into his artistic endeavours. Later, in Molenbeek, he annotates his works with colourful inscriptions in English, French, and Spanish. These inscriptions are attempts at reflection, according to Vandenberg, serving as mantras from the seclusion of his workspace, such as "Il me faut tout oublier" ("I must forget everything") or "Kill them all and dance." The inscriptions convey elements of hope, anger, and solitude, alongside a sense of malevolence, almost as if Vandenberg is recording slogans from a threatening external world. The tension that Vandenberg perceives in the urban environment, between the critical individual and the fiery slogans of the masses, is also embodied in his experiments with novel materials. In his Molenbeek studio, he experiences unprecedented artistic freedom, painting found pieces of cardboard in appealing colours and crafting captivating assemblages from discarded paper collected from the streets. These "objets trouvés" encapsulate both the beauty and ugliness of the city, quite literally presenting the city's presence.

This painting was used by Raf Simons for the final collection of his namesake label (SS23).