CMI restores a monumental work by Roger Jacob

CMI has decided to leave a long-lasting trace of its bicentennial in Seraing, Liège and in the Walloon region in the form of works of art. At Seraing, the ‘Arcs de Venet’ (Venet Arches) have been installed on the Place Kuborn and in the park of the Chateau. In the Walloon region, the ‘Arc Majeur’ (Major Arch) is in the process of being manufactured and will be installed on the E411 motorway at the beginning of 2018. At Liège, CMI has decided to restore the monumental work by Roger Jacob. It was installed and inaugurated on the banks of the Meuse on October 24th, opposite the Congress Center.
Dating from the 70’s, it was designed for the entrance of the new Prayon zinc factory at Engis. Manufactured in Corten steel, it has been greatly damaged by the passage of time, which necessitated a substantial renovation. The Welding Center of Expertise, along with many subcontractors, took charge of this renovation. More than 1,000 hours of work were required to give this work its second life.
The City of Liège, additionally, wished to install this work on its own territory. The Prayon company thus donated the work to the City of Liège, which decided that its location would be the Boulevard Frère Orban in Liège.
Roger Jacob is a Belgian artist born in Arlon in 1924. His work comprises both the abstract and the figurative, and he was convinced that integrating art into public areas provided a response to questions about the relationship between sculpture and architecture, and indeed society in general. The use of Corten steel enabled him to envisage the creation of works of larger size.