Belgians furious about striking artwork: ‘Someone even raised his middle finger’ | Abroad

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WENDUINE – Residents of the Flemish seaside resort of Wenduine are not pleased with a new work of art that has arisen there: a meter-high pile of stacked chairs by artist Sara Bjarland. The mayor, Wilfried Vandaele, is shocked by all the controversy and calls for calm. “Let the work sink in for a moment: the context is broader.”

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The construction of the area around the artwork will be completed later.

Anyone driving through Wenduine cannot miss it: a large work of art has been placed on the roundabout of a number of stacked chairs cast in bronze. The image is by the Finnish Sara Bjarland: she questions people’s disposable behavior. But residents and visitors of Wenduine immediately do the same with the artwork in question.

The work provokes the necessary reactions, also on social media. “My vote during the elections goes to whoever makes this image disappear,” it reads, among other things. Or: “This belongs in the container park.” Someone else is a bit more moderate: “Even if it is not beautiful, you should appreciate the message behind the work.”

The municipality of De Haan purchased the artwork and according to the mayor it will certainly not be removed. He tells Nieuwsblad that the artists responsible ‘know what they are doing’. “Am I shocked by all the reactions? Still, yes. Some comments are even rude. People raised their middle fingers when I went on the scene. Special. There is simply no arguing about flavors and colors. But there was a consensus in the municipal council on this design,” says Wilfried Vandaele.

Local residents can still brace themselves. In addition to Sara Bjarland’s chairs, there will also be a number of other (temporary) works of art on the Haan territory. But Wenduine already got the biggest eye-catcher. The municipality paid 100,000 euros for the artwork, which costs a total of 200,000 euros. The province was responsible for the other half of the purchase price. “I hope people will let this sink in and look at the whole thing later when the roundabout is ready. The planting still needs to be added,” says Vandaele.

Vandaele hopes that the work will still be appreciated in the future. “It is art with a message: hopefully people will also see the broader context,” says the mayor.