The public Imprint-Sculpture, exhibited at Square Albert 1er, Anderlecht, Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium was realised during a residency at Komplot. The 300 million year old Longpre limestone, weighing 3 tons, was donated by Antoine Bodart's small artisanal quarry.
The stone was placed in the middle of undeveloped space between two apartment blocks in the Anderlecht neighborhood, where ressidents have limited access to natural spaces and cultural institutions. Every day I was working on site, carving the imprint-sculpture, the stone to-be-touched. I was talking with the inhabitants and collecting their impressions about the sculpture. The sculpture was calling the passers by to experience it, they were starting to touch the polished and rough parts of the rock. It brought back memories of the countries they left behind, they associated it with magical properties and they started to dream of changes in their environment. Since I started my work on May 8, 2022, the inhabitants have officialy asked the city hall to create their own space around the stone.
The public Imprint-Sculpture, something that, as they say, «will stay», has become a statement and a sign of change.
photographs: Ernest Thiesmeier, 2022
