In Osseghempark in Brussels and in a meadow on Kapeldreef in Leuven, the fifth and sixth Onument were officially inaugurated on 13 March. Onuments are resting places created in memory of the victims of the corona pandemic, but have since become places to pause and mourn and grieve. The date of the unveiling was symbolic: after all, exactly four years ago, the first lockdown was declared in our country on 13 March.
Each Onument is constructed differently, but always based on the same concept: a perfect circle consisting of 13 curved elements of the same size interrupted by a natural force. The thirteen refers to the date 13 March; the fact that the circle is not completely closed symbolises the loss of a deceased person. In Leuven, the Onument flows into the small river 'De Voer' and a newly planted grove, while in Brussels the circle is broken by a force from within. The benches are always made in natural stone, but the materials used are different. In Brussels they are bluestone, while in Leuven the concrete is enriched with aggregates taken from former gravestones from the city's cemetery.
These places for reflection are an initiative of psychiatrist Uus Knops and were designed by landscape architect Bas Smets. After BESIX Infra was also responsible for the placement of the Onument in Aarschot at the end of 2022, it was again appointed as the contractor to place the Onuments in Brussels and Leuven.
