I missed references to The Fallen 9000 after it was created on Peace Day in September 2013. Friends drew it to my attention this year at the time of the 70th anniversary of the D-day landings.
The artists set out to recreate the impact of all of the deaths (Allied and German forces and civilians) that occurred on June 6, 1944 during the storming of the beaches of Normandy. Volunteers used stencils and rakes to inscribe the profiles of 9000 individuals on the beach at Arromanches, France. The images were temporary and were erased when the tide came in a few hours later.
I am moved by the concept and by the way in which the artists extended their statement through the use of volunteers, each of whom became an integral part of the piece. I can't imagine that anyone who participated or viewed the installation came away unaffected.
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