A sculpture in memory of the victims of the 22nd March 2016 Brussels attacks was presented to the press on Sunday. They were unveiled in the Bouvy workshops in Sainte-Cécile (Luxemburg Province). A lorry will move the double monument structure, which weighs over 2 tonnes, on Monday. The piece is by sculptor and actor Jean-Henri Compère. It will be permanently installed on Wednesday, a week before its official unveiling.

The 20m long and 2m high monument will be placed on the central pedestrian walkway in rue de la Loi (between the Schuman roundabout and avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée).

Brussels resident Jean-Henri Compère, who was in the film “La Trêve”, has been working as a sculptor for around 10 years. He won the federal government bid for a piece commemorating last year’s attacks in the capital. “I wanted to do something monumental and which really moved me”, the artist said. He has experienced grief himself.

The sculpture is made up of two twin plaques in glossy stainless steel. “It’s two plaques facing each other off which then join together by straightening out. Like two lovers opposing each other in a strong, anti-violent gesture. The space between them leaves room for dialogue and hope”.

The piece could look like 2 plane wings, a metro track or a broken life, all while giving out a message of hope. The polished steel reflects the mood of the weather. “When the weather is grey, the piece will appear morose. When it rains, the raindrops will look like tears. When the sun shines, it will shine too. That’s life, hope”, explained Jean-Henri Compère. He worked on the piece for a month, motivated by a concept: “hurt, but still standing after the inconceivable has happened”.

Sarah Johansson (Source: Belga)