Thursday Salute to Originals: Changing Perspectives on Peace
Peace Day, which was on September 21st, has already come and gone. But even though it was a couple weeks ago, we couldn’t resist highlighting this amazing installation that is not only visually stunning, but one that emphasizes the need for peace in a moving and perspective-altering way.
The Fallen project, developed by Sandinyoureye (a UK based group specializing in elaborate sand and ice sculptures), took place on Peace Day, where hundreds of volunteers gathered on Arromanches Beach in France to embark on a mission.
Working within a tight window between tides, Sandinyoureye organizers and volunteers hastily stenciled silhouettes into the sand. Meant to serve “…as an example of what happens in the absence of peace”, the astounding 9,000 stenciled forms represent the number of civilians, German Soldiers and Allies that perished during the Normandy Landings of WWII on June 6th, 1944.
The simplicity of the sand as a canvas is underscored by repetition and the sobering quantity of the shadowy outlines. We salute the Fallen Project for creating an overwhelming reminder of the consequences of war and conflict, which is so often, too difficult to quantify and comprehend until you can see it with your own eyes.