Atelier Van Lieshout
The Burghers, 2021
satin and polished silver bracelet
3 x 7.5 x 7.5 cm
Edition of 8
Signed and numbered
The Burghers symbolizes the ever-present human dilemma which is arguably more relevant today than ever before: the choice between the known and the unknown, between security and insecurity, between tradition and progress. The bracelet draws from a universal and timeless theme: what does one do in an emergency situation? The figures huddled together and each in a different state of mind, represent the various emotions that people go through in a time of conflict: heroism, fear, rebellion, survival, escape, compassion, cowardice, joy, loneliness and doubt.
Moreover, The Burghers embodies the honeycomb that is humanity: civilians united together or alternately ensnared by the society that surrounds them. Like crabs clawing one another back into the trap, the artworks questions what we do if an opportunity arose, what role would each of us play? That of the Hero? Nerd? Killer? Helper? Healer? Saint or Sinner?
