Brussels artist seeks volunteers to put life-sized sculptures on their facade

A Brussels artist is working on a series of life-size sculptures that he wants to spread over Brussels facades and roofs, and is looking for residents who want to participate in the project by giving a sculpture a home.

Senne Dehandschutter, known for the series Hoodie and Chantal, designed the sculptures in his studio in central building with the Belgian capital in mind, Bruzz reports.

The sculptures for the new series Lightseekers do not belong in a gallery or on a pedestal, he said, but are made to live in the middle of the city, on facades and roofs, sometimes climbing the wall, balancing on a gutter or searching for the horizon.

“It would be nice to be able to install many more Lightseekers all over Brussels in the coming weeks and year,” Dehandschutter told Bruzz.

“The statues are made of composite and polyester, which makes them easy to handle and move. Afterwards, we process the statues so that they have a rust or concrete look, but still remain light.”

The fastening system was also developed with care to not harm a facade and there is no cost to have a sculpture installed. Should complaints arise regarding an installed sculpture, it will be removed free of charge and as soon as possible.

Anyone interested in giving a Lightseeker a home can contact Senne Dehandschutter via his official website. There are no specific requirements for the facade or roof and there are no specific locations in Brussels being prioritised.

Some four statues are currently ready in Dehandschutter's studio, awaiting a home.

The first test sculpture was successfully installed in September on a facade at Rue d'Ophem 10 in central Brussels, near Dehandschutter's studio. He walks past it himself from time to time in order to discreetly observe reactions.

“Passers-by react with surprise when they look up and suddenly see a human statue hanging,” he said.

“They often pull out their phones to take a picture of it. Many others walk past it without noticing anything, but that too is fine.”

Dehandschutter’s aim with the project is to convey both his love of the city and his occasional desire to climb out of it.

“I have lived in Brussels for a long time and love the city very much, yet it can sometimes be quite crowded and violent, and in winter it gets grey,” he said.

“That makes me want to climb up somewhere high, in search of air, light and views. I still have a lot of ideas, with ambition and without stress.”

The current statues are each based on a real person, either acquaintances of the artist or people he met on the street, though this may change in the future.

“A few well-known Brussels residents have already applied to be models for the Lightseeker series, but for now these are only future plans,” Dehandschutter said.