THE ATOMIUM’S LIL’ SISTERS - Trilogy

Commissioned by 101e% SLRB, Le Foyer Laekenois, Brussels, Belgium
and Commune de Laeken, Région Bruxelles-Capitale
Engineering: JNC International
Parc Wannecouter, Quartier Mutsaard, Brussels, Belgium – 2012

Situated in a public park located on Rue Wannecouter, The Atomium’s Lil’ Sisters is a welcoming space that takes the form of a “plinth for encounters”. It is a transition between the social housing estates, the neighborhood and the city, a place where the popular game of pétanque is played, forming the focal point of interactions and social life. The artist gave personalized pétanque sets to the people living in the social housing units, and offered them the opportunity to take weekly classes. More than just a game, this is an invitation to enter the field of social interactions and daily exchanges, and to get to know one another.

Materials – Dimensions
Plateau base and steps: shock-absorbing rubber granulate coating: 115 m2
Petanque court: steel frame 3 x 10 m + 12 engraved stainless steel spheres: ø 45 / 52 / 59 cm

Archives 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.

The Atomium’s Lil’Sisters

THE ATOMIUM’S LIL’ SISTERS - Trilogy

Archives research, meetings with community groups and guided walks given by local residents