Silence’ is the first permanent piece of public art that reflects the lives of those who built Ho8 or ‘Höhlgangsanlage’ (literally, ‘shelter cave 8’). The £50,000 sculpture project was commissioned by Jersey War Tunnels to recognise the oppression of workers. Canadian sculptor Paul de Monchaux was inspired to create Silence when he visited the tunnels and saw rusting ‘dogs’ hanging from the crevices – large staple-like tools he uses in his work. He said: ‘This tool was a matter of life or death for the tunnel workers – a badly placed dog could bring the tunnel down on their heads. ‘While dogs are my friendly companions, they were symbols of a hopeless predicament to the slave workers,’ he said.
Jersey Evening Post
