My public-art project that I created in the N.J. Rouppe Circus bears a draft-title of "The Blockade". Having looked around the spot, I warmly welcomed the fact that I was drawn to work with this circus. It is a typical circular area with central fountain dominated by a marble sculpture - classical and allegorical statue of woman with victorious gesture that is stressed by her raised hand and laurel wreath. It was built to remember the inhabitants of Brussels the Union of Belgium by the mayor of Brussels in 19th century.
As regards "The Blockade", I perceive the allegorical sculpture along with the fountain more as a general emblematic element of our European culture - this kind of statues have been built in squares and public gathering places since time immemorial. The approach I chose here is similar to the approach of Italian artists of the Arte Povera Movement. (e.g. Giulio Paolini). Broadly speaking, I dealt with a kind of shift in the time of given place. I turned the surrounding area into strictly guarded military zone. This scene evokes the idea of Brussels, the capital of EU, stricken by war conflict. There has not been any war in Western Europe since the Second World War. However, with the present-day accumulation of problems, such as nations migration or Islamic terrorism, the term of civilization conflict has been mentioned more and more frequently. The Blockade stresses the urgency of alertness and preparedness for fighting to save the ever-condemned 'fortress of Europe'. I remembered Europe with many defeats and cases of capitulation, whether it be military or diplomatic, which She has gone through (Munich, Yalta) with Her inability to coordinate and collectively perform when there emerged some problems. The watchtower is designed to the proportions of the statue which automatically takes the role of military guard. It had capitulated before it was able to do something. I covered the original wreath of victory with a symbolic white piece of cloth, but one night, an unknown vandal tore the cloth off and broke the statue's hand off as well.
(Radovan Čerevka, Brussels, 2007)
As regards "The Blockade", I perceive the allegorical sculpture along with the fountain more as a general emblematic element of our European culture - this kind of statues have been built in squares and public gathering places since time immemorial. The approach I chose here is similar to the approach of Italian artists of the Arte Povera Movement. (e.g. Giulio Paolini). Broadly speaking, I dealt with a kind of shift in the time of given place. I turned the surrounding area into strictly guarded military zone. This scene evokes the idea of Brussels, the capital of EU, stricken by war conflict. There has not been any war in Western Europe since the Second World War. However, with the present-day accumulation of problems, such as nations migration or Islamic terrorism, the term of civilization conflict has been mentioned more and more frequently. The Blockade stresses the urgency of alertness and preparedness for fighting to save the ever-condemned 'fortress of Europe'. I remembered Europe with many defeats and cases of capitulation, whether it be military or diplomatic, which She has gone through (Munich, Yalta) with Her inability to coordinate and collectively perform when there emerged some problems. The watchtower is designed to the proportions of the statue which automatically takes the role of military guard. It had capitulated before it was able to do something. I covered the original wreath of victory with a symbolic white piece of cloth, but one night, an unknown vandal tore the cloth off and broke the statue's hand off as well.
(Radovan Čerevka, Brussels, 2007)
die Blockade, 2007, site-specific installation, wood, dimensions variable (exhibition: Agorafolly, De Electriciteitscentrale and public spaces in Bussels, photo: Radovan Čerevka N. J. Rouppe Square in Brussels, Belgium)
Sculpture with the broken hand
View in to the upper annulus of the fountain with cuts of hand with anadem destroyed after the vandalic attack
One of the reports in the local Belgian press caused by the act of vandalism. It is obvious that it was the character of the work that provoked the act of vandalism.