Its head is half buried in the sand while its tentacles are clutching a telescope and a boot.
Meet this giant squid which lies on the beach at De Panne in the Belgian province of West Flanders, a bronze sculpture created by prize-winning French multimedia artist Laure Prouvost.
She made the work for one of the world’s most unusual triennials, staged amid the beaches and dunes of Belgium’s 60km coastline.
You can explore this and more than a dozen other works by tram from De Panne, which boasts the widest North Sea beach, to the sophisticated family seaside resort of Knokke-Heist.
Some artists installed works actually in the sea, such as Italian sculptor Rosa Barba whose pile of concrete sandbags is to form a dam against sea levels rising due to climate change.
Pillage Of The Sea will sink into the water over time.
Another artwork in the sea is Men, equestrian statues by Danish sculptor Nina Beier. They have been rising out of the waves since 2018 in Nieuwpoort, likewise installed during the Beaufort Triennial.
Don’t miss Jan Fabre’s giant golden turtle, an integral part of the coastal landscape since 2003.
You can also see Wim Delvoye’s Gothic chiselled excavator in Middelkerke-Westende.
Plus, there is Christophorus by Dutch artist Gerhard Lentink, a headless giant in the dunes of De Panne.
Visitors can easily hop on the Kusttram, or coast tram, to enjoy the art trail with works spread across 10 coastal towns.
The tram covers a distance of 67km with over 65 stops and links 15 seaside resorts.
All of the artworks are inspired by the sea. Many were created for Beaufort Triennial launched in 2003 to “create a place where the sea and artwork meet in a fleeting dialogue”, organisers said at the time.
While you are in the area, make sure to stop in Bruges, whose medieval centre was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2000.
It overhauled its image back in 2021 with the triennial that generated many of the works. These and more from later shows only add to the city’s charm.
Besides its history, all the contemporary art and architectural installations make the city an evolving experience that rewards multiple visits. – SABINE GLAUBITZ/dpa
