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Letter to Pain

Fabrice Samyn

  • main galleries
  • artist in residence

About

Fabrice Samyn (°1981), artist-in-residence 2019 of the In Flanders Fields Museum, discovered 6,000 letters from and to soldiers in the museum's collections that had hardly been studied so far.

The artist, assisted by a group of volunteers for the occasion baptized "speleologists of joy", read these letters to search for all possible sources of joy in the midst of pain and violence: the power of companionship, joy for others, hospitality, comfort, romantic love, love between parents and children, memories, humour, happiness, sensory pleasure and the beauty and wonders of nature.

In the museum Fabrice Samyn built a mailbox in the shape of a dovecote. Next to it is a table with paper and stationery. An invitation to the visitor...

Write the museum a letter about your pain and the team of volunteers will send you an answer inspired by their work as archivist of war correspondence. You can post your letter in the letterbox at the museum, or send it until 5 January 2020:
Fabrice Samyn
Correspondence piece VI
Kenniscentrum
Sint-Maartensplein 3
BE-8900 Ieper, België