Small monuments commemorate people who died lonely in Eindhoven. An initiative of artist collective Ploeg-e, which in this way draws attention to loneliness in society.
Along the entrance to the parking garage on Stadhuisplein in Eindhoven is a small inconspicuous monument. It is a door with a mat in front of it on which a text is written.
Loneliness
According to initiator Corinne Heyrman, loneliness, and therefore dying lonely, is a major social problem in the city. “The idea is that at lonely funerals a monument will be made with a front door and a poetic text on a door mat. I write poems about loneliness and looking out for each other”.
Corinne thinks it’s important to show that with those lonely funerals, someone has left us: “That front door symbolises that we all have a front door where we can ring the bell and look out for each other. That neighbour who you may know is also lonely”.
Link
“The monuments are in places that have a link to the deceased. For example, in Stadswandelpark there is a monument to someone who lived on the streets. Near DAF Museum there is one for someone who loved trucks”.
Commemorate
She does think it is a nice initiative. “The little monument is for the Polish homeless man Adam. He ended up on the street and eventually died here. You’re going to try to get as close to someone as possible. To still remember the person and write something for them”, Corinne says.
For her, it doesn’t have to be something really big, either: “It’s more like something you notice and can dwell on. And if you walk past it, it’s symbolic of loneliness. Because we often walk past that, too”.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
