Requiem for a Star - Trilogy
Commissioned by 101e% SLRB, Le Foyer Laekenois, Brussels, Belgium
and Commune de Laeken, Région Bruxelles-Capitale
Gustave-Demanet, Quartier Mutsaard, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium – 2012
In an open-air passageway on Rue Demanet, we are invited to share the worldview of Flor Van der Vinnen, a well-known offbeat character from the neighborhood’s past. The text and the ritual in which the artist invites us to take part complement those of The Refuge of Dreams, but they stem from a different thought process: here, the dreams that we are invited to recall are to be addressed to someone other than ourselves. This is reflected in the flickering of a shining star, suggesting the time given to us to make our contribution to the enjoyment of all.
Materials – Dimensions
Illuminated star: lacquered folded aluminum, diffusing white Plexiglas, white LEDs: 50 x 50 x 3 cm + Projecting push-button: painted brass: ø 7 cm
Text-legend on enameled lava plate: ø 27 x 28 x 2.5 cm in three languages: French, English, Dutch
Archive research, meetings with community groups and guided walks given by local residents
The Housing Authority of the Bruxelles-Capitale region (SLRB)commissioned Cécile Pitois to design a public work of art for the Laeken neighborhood. This commission is part of the 101e% program, where artists are commissioned to create permanent works of art that display a strong relationship with the specific context of social housing. Cécile Pitois’ proposal includes three distinct yet complementary projects: The Refuge of Dreams, Requiem for a Star and The Atomium’s Lil’ Sisters. All three refer to the 1958 World’s Fair and specifically to the nearby Atomium, recalling an era of prosperity, of dreams—of utopianism, even—that the inhabitants of Brussels still remember.
