A Truly Evocative and Moving Display

I picked up a leaflet recently about a public art exhibition at Custom House Square, Belfast called ‘Minimum Monument’ by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo. This exhibition has been showcased on an international level but its theme whilst in Belfast was to commemorate the lives lost in the sinking of the Titanic; 1,517 ice figures, one for every life that perished. To some, this may appear to be in poor taste considering the tragic events that unfolded on that ill-fated night. But I have to say, this exhibition affected me much more than I would have ever thought.

The visual transition of the ice figures as they became more and more transparent was almost haunting; especially with the silent, incessant dripping water. The symbolism of this was not lost, particularly when pools of water started to form. The natural sunlight reflecting off the figures was a beautiful sight – they took on a very spiritual and almost saintly quality.