Renato Nicolodi

Belvédère

The city of Genk thinks it is important to have a General monument in its cemeteries where the departed may be commemorated in an intimate and protected location, no matter what their origin, relgion or purport.

For the Waterschei cemetery, the city asked the young artist Renato Nicolodi to create a work for the secondary entrance to the cemetery. In his designs Nicolodi is inspired by elements from classical architecture. It is his first work of a dimension like this in the open air: a timeless monument, a gigantic open gate between the worlds of the living and the dead. The monument is 7 metres high and weighs 70 tons

Belvédère is a black triumphal arch made from concrete, but it distinguishes itself from other classical triumphal arches. It has a clear front and back. The front, which you see first as a visitor seems a blind volume, however, as soon as you leave the frontal view, you discover that the massive gate has much more to offer.

Belvédère is like an architectural monolith: it claims itself and its spot in the cemetery, just like death does. However, at the same time, because of its shape and material, it symbolises eternity, peace and timelessness, and cherishes the memory of the departed.

Waterschei cemetery

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