The Newlyweds - Bruges

Love, Liebe, amour, amore… we can never get enough! These frisky newlyweds (or the lovers as the work is also called) in bronze celebrate love with a dance step. Their kiss is in the air. Since the redevelopment of the square in 1991, this creation by the Italian-Belgian artist couple Livia Canestraro and Stefaan Depuydt has been located on the Burg, a few meters from the stately town hall where Bruges couples promise each other eternal fidelity.

From a first furtive look to the marriage in real life. The Newlyweds see it all happening from their privileged place and also the frog on the statue's pedestal watches it all at ease. It is a nod to the name 'Depuydt', which resembles the West Flemish 'puut', which means frog. Also search the pedestal for the word 'love' in your language , it is written on it in dozens of different languages.

Controversy

In 2002 Bruges was the cultural capital . In the context of the cultural project "Operation Terra Radicalis" , artist and critic Jan Verhaeghe had designed an official art route through around 21 existing works of art and a signage tape with the word "no viewing" on it . Each work of art was accompanied by an accompanying text that explains the action to the walker/viewer/city visitor: there must be a better thought-out policy for art in public space ; the public space of Bruges has been used more than once in recent decades as a 'hidden dump for precious metals' (Johan Pas). For years, art critic Johan Debuyne advocated the gradual removal of all that 'old-fashioned bronze' in the local Brugs Handelsblad. Many artists made use of Bruges 2002 Cultural Capital to rid Bruges of its cookie box image and to promote more up-to-date art in the city centre.

Depuydt and Canestraro filed a lawsuit, demanded €100,000 and were vindicated in 2010: by using their artwork in another conceptual artwork without being asked to do so, their copyrights have been infringed . Verhaeghe had to pay damages of €21,500 and to publish the full 21-page verdict in 2 newspapers.

Willem Vandenameele