ISSA Belgium / A Sculpture Symposium Shaped in Blue Stone

The 3rd Boundless Peace International Sculpture Symposium, also known as the ISSA Belgium Station, was held 

from June 10 to 27 in Kalmthout, a Belgian border city. The event was organized by Jorg Van Daele in collaboration 

with the Municipality of Kalmthout.

The participating artists included Anna Korver from New Zealand, Nando Alvarez from Spain, Miki Tabaton Osborne 

from Jamaica, Adriano Ciarla from Italy, Rich Arnauda from Mexico, and Jorg Van Daele from Belgium.

Each sculpture was created from a block of Belgian blue stone weighing approximately two tons.

“Following the great success of the 2023 edition, Kalmthout is once again proud to host these internationally 

renowned sculptors,” said Silke Rathaowers, Alderman for Cultural Affairs. “Over the course of two weeks, they 

will create monumental artworks here using Belgian blue limestone (blauwe hardsteen).”

Adriano Ciarla lives and works in Carrara, Italy, a city world-famous for its marble. He has permanent exhibitions in 

Paris, Biarritz, and Munich. For this symposium, he brought with him a special story. As Jorg Van Daele explained, 

“Adriano is creating a pumpkin sculpture for the municipality of Essen, offering a permanent tribute to the 

Pumpkin Festival.”

Unlike the other participating artists, Mexican sculptor Rich Arnauda was the only one who did not work with slate.

 Instead, he used small mosaic stones laid onto a concrete slab, creating a highly colorful artwork.

Contributed by: Jorg Van Daele, ISSA Belgium Committee Member

Editor-in-Chief: Liu Qin

English Editor: Sun Ya'nan

Legal Advisor: Tao Ran'ting