Lady from the Sea

LADY FROM THE SEA 1. The Lady from the Sea This more than 6 metre high white concrete sculpture holds many protective symbols. Right from the beginning the starting point of the sculpture was the figurehead of a ship, this being an important protective symbol at sea. In a strange way a guardian angel, a woman and a mermaid are united in this figure.

2. Janus figure The sculpture is a double-sided Janus figure, a mythological creature with two faces that symbolise beginning and ending, past and future, departure and homecoming at the same time.

When you come from the sea, you met the open, extroverted side of the figure while the introverted, contemplative side faces the harbour and the land.

COPYRIGHT 2002 AALBORG WHITE

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

LADY FROM THE SEA 3. Contribution from the children The protective aspect is emphasized by the children's personal protective symbols.

Nearly 900 children helped the sculptor create the Lady from the Sea. Each child contributed a small ceramic or glass figure for inclusion in the sculpture. Some of the figures were placed on the cape and some on the body, almost like mermaid's scales.

4. Construction The form of the sculpture was first cut from polystyrene. This was then covered with stainless steel netting onto which concrete was sprayed. Reinforcement bars were inserted through the polystyrene and cast firmly into the concrete foundation. Finally the sculptor modelled all the details on the concrete surface before placing the ceramic and glass figures donated by the children.

COPYRIGHT 2002 AALBORG WHITE

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED