The Statue of Europe

Europe returns from America

A sign of Europe’s liberation
A symbol for the arising Europe

Statue of Europe No. 1
Sponsor: RST Stahlbau

America was discovered and colonized by Europeans. Language, culture, religion, economy – the complete social system origins from European structures. Even the name derives from the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. European emigrates established a kind of „United States of Europe“ on the American continent. Europe found its fulfillment in the “New World” whereas the comity of nations on the „Old Continent“ tore itself apart in countless wars.
Following the landing of the allied forces in the Normandy, Western Europe was liberated, the European Union was founded. And after the fall of the Berlin wall the Euro Currency was introduced and the Eastern enlargement took place. Now Europe returned to the European continent with the idea to found the “United States of Europe”:
today already partly reality but still plenty of vision.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the declaration of independence, France donated the statue of liberty to America. Today Europe is in the process of creating a common constitution.
The Statue of Europe symbolizes this newly created Europe and the victory of freedom in Europe. The base is the common cultural identity. Jean Monnet, initiator of the Coal and Steel Union (the foundation of the European Community), once said: If he could re-start the creation of Europe he’d begin with the culture. Europe needs an a portray of its identity, its common origin.

The 46 meters high Statue of Europe enters the European continent on the Atlantic coast and symbolizes: Europe - the soul of the statue of liberty - moved from its plinth in New York and returned from America. Now she is wandering over the old continent: from France via Brussels (the political center of Europe), Germany, Italy, … to Poland, Hungary…, and with relevance to the present, up to the Ukraine. A portray of the soul of the new Europe.

Statue of Europe :


Height:
151 ft (as high as the statue of liberty)

Construction:
Steel-Glass-construction: a frame of steel forms the outer shape of a bare female figure, the figure itself consist of perspex ( i.e. Macrolon – extremely resistant).

Figure/ Color:
A magnificent female figure, modeled according to a classical Greek statue, walking forth. Arising from the sea, she walks towards the land.
The woman’s body is colored blue (blue glass); The outer shape (face, hands,...) is colored
black. To increase the sculptural effect maybe shadings will be applied (half-tone dots: Andy Warhol/ Roy Lichtenstein).
The steel frame is colored black.


Right Hand:
Holds a torch with the flame of freedom (if possible a real flame). Torch: colored gold


Left Hand:
Holds a blue cloth (dark blue) with 3 golden stars (this might be a dress or the
European flag – this aspect remains unanswered).
The golden torch and the golden stars refer to each other in regards to space and content: looking at the torch with the flame of freedom, everybody adds in thoughts some more stars.


Base:
The base is hidden under sand (the statue has no plinth):
- at low tide the Statue of Europe walks on the beach
- during tide the water stands up to her knees.


2 Views:

Front View:
from the country side

Back View:
from the sea side (this side is equal to the front view but a mirror view)
The sculpture has two different front views: she walks into both directions.
Sloping view: interesting distortions and overlapping will arise (photos of the model)


During Day:
The glass sculpture casts a blue shadow.

Nachts:
Illumination of the glass surface.
Only the blue female figure can be seen, the black steel construction is hidden in the darkness.
The Statue of Europe rises mystically from the sea (Venus, die Schaumgeborene).

Examples:
- Statues of liberty and their examples:
- The Colossos of Rhodes (Memorial of a successful resistance to a siege)
- Eugène Delacroix „Liberty leads the nation“; Louvre (Background: Revolution in 1830; Model: Jeanne d‘Arc)
- „Nike from Samothrake“; Louvre; Origin: Rhodes. (The goddess stands on the bow of a ship, leading it through a storm to victory)
- „Venus from Milo“, Louvre
- Boticelli: „Birth of Venus“
- Yves Klein: Venus, Anthropometrie
- Le Corbusier „the Modulor“
- Picasso: „Blue Phase“
- Matisse: „Blue nude IV“
.....
- up to “the Taurus of Lascaux” (Europe’s origin)

Europa is portrayed without the Taurus. Europa is not a girl anymore, kidnapped and seduced by a Taurus, she is now an adult, self-confident woman.
The identification of the statue is ensured by the blue colour and the blue cloth with the golden stars. The statue does not need a corona because she, herself, is a shining figure in two respects:
1. through the used material: transparent glass
2. through the color blue:
- During the mediaeval mysticism blue was not meant to be a color but represented quite simply the light (Fra Angelico).
- When it came to decide for a flag and a color to represent the European Community, the Europeans
decided of their favourite colour blue. This affectation is bound to their culture (Japanese for example prefer white.)

Site/Location:
In France, on the beach of the Normandy, where the landing of the allied forces took place.
Respectively on the beach of the Bretagne near Brest, the most western part of the European continent.


Further Sites/Location:
Europe enters the European continent on the Atlantic coast and wanders through Europe.
Further locations for the Statue, whereas the size of the statue is adjusted to the local conditions, are:
- in Brussels
- in Spain, Italy, ....
- on the former border between the Federal Republic of Germany and the former German Democratic Republic (fall of the wall)
- on the border of Germany and Poland, ... Hungary, ...Rumania, ... up to Ukraine (Liberty and democracy for the countries of the former Eastern bloc)


Variations:
Variations of the Europe statue are planned – where appropriate, in a blue dress respectively with a Taurus i.e. on Crete or as a female torero in Spain.

Expenses/Costs:
Still to be determined – but reasonably priced because of the simple construction principle

Financing:
- private contributions
- no public money
- selling of drawings and paintings (Christo’s principle)
- Merchandising


Note:
Already during World War I, in the dugouts of Verdun, the soldiers longed for Europa as protective goddess, making war between the European nations impossible.

The Statue of Europe strides self-confident towards the future and stands for the idea of freedom and humanity.
Coming from the „New World“, she symbolizes the “New Europe”. But still she proudly carries the “Old World”, the “Old Europe” within herself.
For sure such a Statue becomes a Tourist Attraction and conveys especially for the younger generation the European idea.


Initiator:
Herbert Fell (Artist and Engineer)

The Statue of Europe
Blue glass sculpture with black steel construction: 151 ft high

Photomontage:
In the manner of the American Statue of Liberty the Statue of Europe enters the European continent on the Atlantic coast:
Europe returns to the European Continent.

Example for demonstration: glass sculpture „Barbarossa“

The sculpture „Barbarossa“ clarifies the construction principle. The Statue of Europe will be constructed accordingly.
Construction principle: glass – steel construction: the steel construction forms the shape of the figure. Height of the Barbarossa Sculpture: 20 ft
The stability is ensured by the heavy outer frame. The depth of the frame is 8 in. The glass surfaces consist of Macrolon, 0,8 in thick (this material is extremely resilient). The sculpture “walks” on the ground – the foundation is hidden beneath.
The drawing (black) is applied on both sides of the glass surface. The transparency of the glass gives the compact/ consolidated figure a lightness
(the background is visible through the figure): a striding shining figure There are two equal views:
front view and back view The sculpture casts a colorful shadow (This sculpture is not illuminated at night)

 
The watch tower of the former border fortification between the Federal Republic of Germany and the former German Democratic Republic is visible in the background.

Statue of Europe

Besides the Statue of Liberty and the Colossos of Rhodes further Examples and associations