CLAY FRONT HOMECOMING certificates 2012

Clay Front Homecoming is a progression of Clay Front. From the very beginning of the Clay Front project, it was Griet Dobbels’ dream to return the clay to the soldiers’ countries of origins. They were sent to Belgium from all over the world. Today, they are finally returning home. Griet Dobbels has been collaborating with the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, which provided her with a list of 9,770 soldiers declared missing in action at the ten locations. There are no names on the list, but it does contain birthplaces and details of the sites where the men died. This list is never exhaustive, because the investigation continues. The research has resulted in a new installation entitled Clay Front Homecoming. The clay returns to missing soldiers’ hometowns in the form of small earthenware vessels. These are sealed, packaged and sent by post with two certificates. They are gifts to the cities from which the soldiers originated: from Weingarten (Germany) to Auckland (New Zealand), and from Woubrechtegem (Belgium) to Mers El Hadjadj (Algeria). 

Nazareth - sent - received certificate +Included in 'Museum of Nazareth'

Woubrechtegem - sent - received certificate    

Charleroi - sent - received certificate +Included in 'Musée des Beaux-Arts de Charleroi'

Ieper - sent - received certificate 

Tournai (Templeuve) - sent - Included in 'Musée d’Histoire militaire de Tournai'

Antwerpen - sent - Included in 'Collectie Stadhuis Antwerpen'

Neeroeteren - sent -

Brussel - sent -

Molenbeek - sent -

Spa - sent - received certificate 

Postboxes, each with a letter to the mayor of the city of the hometown of a missing soldier and certificate part I and II with the unique hand turned earthenware vessel (5 x 7 cm). The stamp on the pot refers to the site where the clay was excavated and the soldier is missing. The vessel was fired at a temperature of 1020)C and is packed inside a handmade cardboard box (7 x 7 x 5 cm) with an PVC dome. The box is secured with wire and a lead seal. The seal bears the imprint: Clay Front.