A crowd gathered to watch Guernsey’s newest piece of street art unveiled to the public today.

Commissioned by Art for Guernsey, and supported by the Channel Islands Liquor Co, it tells the story of Guernsey’s occupation and liberation through the eyes of UK street artist, Teddy Baden.

The mural can be seen on the side of the Vivier Bunker, on the Castle Pier, home to the Channel Islands Liquor Co.

The joint initiative aimed to capture some of the stories and tales from the end of the occupation, and even received ‘Royal approval’, with the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey, the Monarch’s personal representative in the Bailiwick, presiding over its inauguration earlier today.

Pictured: Teddy Baden’s mural at the Vivier Bunker.

“This year the Channel Islands mark 80 years of Liberation from occupying forces – 9th May in Guernsey and Jersey and 10th May in Sark,” explained Art for Guernsey.

“The Liberation of the Bailiwick began with the arrival of HMS Bulldog in St Peter Port, which saw German forces formally sign a declaration of surrender aboard the vessel”.

Mr Baden has managed to get many of the details from Guernsey’s trials and tribulations under the occupation, ceasing at Liberation, into the artwork – including HMS Bulldog.

He said it’s taken early starts and late finishes to get the piece done in time for Liberation Day.

“It feels really, really good. I’m still a bit wired from it all. I was up at half five this morning, come down to put finishing touches on before this happened.

  • Pictured; The Mural by Teddy Baden has involved weeks of work, night and day, in order to get it ready for the 80th anniversary of the end of the Occupation.
  • Pictured; HE Richard Cripwell, CB, CBE, addressing the crowd ahead of innugerating the work by Teddy Baden.
  • Pictured; HE Richard Cripwell, CB, CBE, (Left), Luke Wheadon, (Center), and David Ummels, (right).
  • Pictured; David Ummels (Left), and Teddy Baden, (Right), speaking with Richard Heaume, (Center), one of the leading sources of information for the Occupation and Liberation Mural.
  • Pictured; HE Richard Cripwell, CB, CBE, Inaugurating the Liberation Mural at Vivier Baker.
  • Pictured; Luke Wheadon, holding the remnants of the rum bottle used to inaugurate the mural.

“So I’m high on fumes, I’m still running on an empty sort of fuel tank. But it’s it looks as I wanted it to look. All the little embellishments have now been added, and I think it fills the wall really nicely.”

The Channel Islands Liquor Co, has supported the initiative, and sees its Vivier Bunker site as fitting for a canvas dedicated to the end of the Occupation.

“The Vivier Bunker, our distillery home, is itself a relic of the Occupation – once a German-built fuel store, now a place of craftsmanship, community and flavour,” said owner Luke Wheadon. “Seeing it transformed with Teddy Baden’s powerful mural is deeply moving.

“It not only honours our history but also injects vibrant energy into a space that was once symbolic of wartime constraint. We’re proud to support Art for Guernsey in bringing history to life in such a bold and engaging way, reminding us all that from even the darkest chapters, beauty and resilience can emerge.”

Art for Guernsey’s Founder, David Ummels said that it’s a project that hopes to respect the older generation of Guernsey residents, and inspires the younger ones coming through.

“Fundamentally, we are charity who applies art for the greater good of the island. That’s what we deeply care about. I’m so happy to witness the final outcome. It’s a passion project, with the utmost respect for the elder generation. It’s basically, I think, a beautiful mural. It’s gonna be a talking point. I hope it’s gonna be taken with, you know, all the due respect.

“It’s going to talk to the new generation and maybe make it, (the history of the island), more accessible, more fun.”

HE Richard Cripwell, CB, CBE, inaugurated the mural, launching a bottle of rum from above his head into the concrete wall of the bunker. He said it was a new experience for him, but a good one.

“It’s slightly nerve wracking. Frankly, you never quite know if the bottle is going to break, and there are plenty of examples where it hasn’t done so. But I gave it my best, and luckily, all went well to it this morning.

“I don’t think I’ve done this since riot training over 40 years ago when I was a cadet. So you know, it’s good to be reminded of the old skills.

“My own view is that all art invokes a response, and often that response is going to be very different. It is truly in the eye of the beholder, and I think what this piece does, and what clearly so many other pieces do, is invites the person who’s looking at, to think about what they’re seeing, rather than just having their eye glance over it as they go somewhere else.”

Street Art on the rise in Guernsey

The unveiling of Teddy Baden’s work coincides with a drive by AfG to bring more street art to Guernsey, with an upcoming new exhibition; ‘Diversion’, and an open call for local artists who’d be interested in helping design, decorate, and create pieces for it. 

Having recently been mentioned in the States of Guernsey, also receiving the support of Art experts on island, and by Express, the vibrancy that art at street level brings is a welcome addition to the beautiful scenic landscape that the Island is known for. 

We may be in store for more, with AfG putting out its open call for local artists, who’d like to explore the medium, ahead of today’s unveiling.

Any local artists who’d like the chance to create something this summer is invited to contact AfG’s Curation and Creative Director Jock Pettit – jock@artforguernsey.com.