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Maarten Inghels chose this location in Heppeneert for a specific reason. In 2021, after a prolonged period of heavy rainfall in France and Wallonia, the Maas River threatened to overflow its banks and flood this Limburg pilgrimage site. Emergency services had to reinforce the dike with sandbags to prevent the flooding.
Without the river expansion project aimed at preparing the Maas for extreme weather due to climate change, the outcome could have been very different. The SOS distress signal we know from books and movies was thus very close to becoming a reality. Now, from the same dike overlooking the river’s winter bed, you can see a 25-meter-long sand sculpture with the words “SAVE OUR SOULS.” For Inghels, it represents a futile cry for help in times of increasing floods and summer droughts. The fact that the artwork can be flooded or washed away is essential, emphasizing our vulnerability to the immense power of water. It also serves as a reference to the nearby pilgrimage site and church, where the salvation of souls is a central theme.
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