The Grand Opening

Initiated in 1911, the construction of the Monument to the Belgian Pioneers in Congo encountered difficulties and was delayed until 1921 due to the ravages of war and the sculptor’s health. During the war, the presence of the monument intrigued the city’s residents, hidden away in the gardens of the Cinquantenaire Palace, an enigma concealed from the eyes of the curious. On Wednesday, May 11, 1921, the monument emerged from its wooden cocoon and revealed itself to the world, draped in canvas under a canopy of red velvet.

The project had to engage with a very violent monument carrying a heavy heritage. This monument stands at the center of many discussions about the need to decolonize the public space. Our proposal, The Grand Opening, did not aim to provide answers but rather to pose a question. Our intention was to make visible what is already visible, because, as the theorist Bénédicte Savoy said, before you can turn the page, you need to read it.

We assembled a temporary structure from rented scaffolding and stage elements,a fragile framework for collective reflection.