Faces of war

The ‘Faces of War’ project by the Ypres-based artist Jan Fieuw is a tribute to those who lost their lives during the First World War. Faces have been carved onto 129 railway sleepers, as silent witnesses to the events in our region. This art project can be seen at the Yser Tower site from Sunday 1 August until Sunday 3 October (admission included in the entry price).
During the First World War, sleepers were used to make railway lines to transport munitions, weapons, food and troops.
After WW1, the farmers used these sleepers to fence off their fields. Jan has carved 129 faces of anonymous soldiers from the 129 countries involved in the Great War into these wooden sleepers. Some sleepers still even contain bullets or shrapnel.