Passchendaele
Client: Veterans Affairs Canada
Date: 2017
Designer: Two Smiths
Location: Passchendaele, Belgium
Materials: Forged steel, bronze
The Commemorative Sculpture
This is an interactive sculpture that commemorates Canadian Soldiers who fought during the Battle of Passchendaele in the fall of 1917. The steel base is textured by forging to give it the appearance of mud. Three hand forged poppies, symbols of remembrance, rise out of the mud. At the base of the poppies lie three bronze discs that represent the dog tags worn by Canadian soldiers in WW1. On each tag a short inscription has been engraved. These are quotes taken from letters written by soldiers who fought in the battle of Passchendaele
Messages of Hope
The base of the sculpture is designed to hold small cards that visitors to Passchendaele are invited to write messages on. At the unveiling ceremony the Governor General wrote the first message of hope to add to the sculpture.
