The Brussels government announced this Sunday that it is financially supporting up to two million euros spread over 4 years, François Schuiten’s project, the Moby Train, a monumental sculpture to be installed by 2026 at the entrance to the city, on the Van Praet roundabout near Dockx Bruxsel, the port of Brussels and the Train World museum. 2026 will also be the centenary year of SNCB.
François Schuiten, the famous cartoonist and scenographer told us that he had already worked on this project for seven years. He joined forces for the occasion with the French sculptor Pierre Matter, used to creating monumental works from old industrial objects destined for scrap.
The sculpture will consist of a real locomotive from 1957: an old diesel locomotive 5204 Gros Nez, of which only the fairing remains and which was destined for scrap. Another Gros Nez locomotive is currently being restored.
The train will seem to emerge from a whale. The name of the work Moby Train refers to the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville.
Anne-Marie Sauvat from the Eole workshop in Brussels designed a landscaping around the sculpture, made up of plants and grasses reminiscent of the waves of the sea.
Architect and urban planner Jean-Pierre Majot has designed lighting for the Moby Train that is said to be “discreet and subtle”. The Greisch design and engineering office is also associated with the project.
The cost of the entire Moby Train is estimated at 2.5 million euros, 80% of which, or two million, will therefore be taken into
borne by the Region. The rest should be raised through sponsorship and crowdfunding. To raise the necessary funds, a project account has been opened with the King Baudouin Foundation, which supports this initiative, as well as the non-profit organization Promethea. The project manager is the Train World museum.
Sven Gatz (Open VLD), minister of the Brussels region who announced this support from the Region, explains: “Brussels needs artistic sculptures that underline the importance of the capital. In a few years, the Moby Train will become a new popular icon for Brussels residents, commuters and national and foreign tourists.”