But look closer, and you will soon realise that this is not an eagle, but a water bird, a cormorant, that is resting on the pedestal in the form of a bollard. The rough skin, the impressionistic finish of the elongated body and the openwork on the back of the sculpture also reveal a vulnerable creature.
The location in Rijnkaai highlights the work’s vulnerability. The sculpture is installed in between the expanse of the Scheldt on the one hand and industrial heritage on the other. What’s more, the location imparts a new meaning on the sculpture, in relation to the millions of migrants who boarded Red Star Line ships for America.
And so the bronze cormorant moved to Rijnkaai.