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Notes
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Reconciliation is a sculpture by the artist Josefina de Vasconcellos. Originally created in 1977 and entitled 'Reunion’, the sculpture depicts a man and woman embracing each other across barbed wire. Describing the inspiration for the piece, de Vasconcellos said 'The sculpture was originally conceived in the aftermath of the War. Europe was in shock, people were stunned. I read in a newspaper about a woman who crossed Europe on foot to find her husband, and I was so moved that I made the sculpture. Then I thought that it wasn't only about the reunion of two people but hopefully a reunion of nations which had been fighting.' In 1994 the sculpture was restored, renamed and unveiled for a second time on de Vasconcellos 90th birthday. In 1995 (to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War) bronze casts of this sculpture (as Reconciliation) were placed in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and in the Hiroshima Peace Park in Japan.
The Belfast version of the sculpture was presented by the Dean of Coventry Cathedral and Sir Richard Branson and was officially unveiled in the grounds of Stormont Estate by First and Deputy Ministers David Trimble and Seamus Mallon in November 2000.
During the ceremony, representatives from Belfast, Coventry, Hiroshima and Berlin threw pebbles from their respective countries into the statue's surrounding water garden, where stone boulders bear the names of those cities. Walkers often stop at this spot to rest and contemplate.
The inscription on the sculpture reads:
'These sculptures remind us that human dignity and love will triumph over disaster and bring us together in respect and peace.'
The Reconciliation Sculpture is a popular attraction with visitors and sits as the centre piece of a larger water feature. Unfortunately the water feature has deteriorated over the years and is in need of some major refurbishment work. Plans and drawings to include the sculpture are currently being developed.
Northern Ireland Civil Service
Belfast
Title
Reconciliation (The Peace Monument)
Medium
bronze
Measurements
H 104 x W 224 x D 35 cm
Accession number
ARTS05
Work type
Monument
Inscription description
inscribed on a plaque on a stone close to the sculpture: Reconciliation / Josefina De Vasconcellos / Presented by Coventry cathedral and Sir Richard Branson / Identical sculptures have been placed on behalf of the people of Coventry, Hiroshima and Berlin / These sculptures remind us that human dignity and love will triumph over disaster and bring us together in respect and peace
Northern Ireland Civil Service
Art Section, Stormont Castle Cottages, Belfast, County Antrim BT4 3ST Northern Ireland
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