Bronze for Brel
Next autumn, to mark the 40th anniversary of his death, Grand Jacques will have his own statue a few hundred metres from the Town Hall of Brussels, on Place de la Vieille Halle aux Blés, opposite the Jacques Brel Foundation, directed by his daughter.
The bronze statue will be created by Tom Frantzen. Aiming to be very expressive, it will depict the artist 'on stage' based on a photo taken of him during a concert. To date, there is only one sculpture of the artist in the Capital-Region, more specifically a sculpture of his head placed on a plinth that can be found in Forest, in the park that bears his name.
The statue should attract many visitors. It will add Place de la Vieille Halle aux Blés to a commercial and tourist trail which already includes Manneken-Pis, Rue de l’Étuve and Rue du Chêne with the Manneken-Pis Wardrobe, and will offer greater visibility to the Jacques Brel Foundation created in 1981.