Valenciennes Postcard / 10x15cm

30x40cm

Destination Valenciennes where Wim' makes you discover his Town Hall! Located Place d'Armes, and dating from the 17th century, this building is a mix of Gothic architecture typical of the Spanish Netherlands and northern France. In 1940, most of Valenciennes was in the flames of a devastating fire and only the facade of the Hôtel de Ville survived: its historic belfry, comprising the clock and the Valenciennes sculpture defending its ramparts, collapsed in the catastrophe.

It is here that a contemporary work called Valenciennes and signed by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Métais is installed. "The arrow" or "the obelisk" is a kind of giant needle engraved with 2000 words collected from the people of Valenciennes who talk about their city. It is inspired by the functions of the vanished belfry: place of meetings, concord, exchanges, protection; but also a symbol of passing time and communal freedoms...