Op Zoek Naar Utopia, Bronze sculpture in Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Op Zoek Naar Utopia is a seven-metre-long, three-metre-high bronze sculpture by Jan Fabre, installed on the dyke at Nieuwpoort-Bad beach. It shows a golden-coloured turtle with a human figure, a self-portrait of Fabre, seated on its shell and looking out to sea, holding a thin rein toward the turtle's neck. The turtle's head is raised and its front flippers rest on the ground.
Jan Fabre made the sculpture for Beaufort 2003, the art triennial held along the Belgian coast, and the city of Nieuwpoort bought it after it was installed on the dyke at Nieuwpoort-Bad beach. A copy has stood on the Citadel of Namur since 2015.
The title refers to Thomas More's Utopia, while the sculpture itself recalls Roald Dahl's 1977 story The Boy Who Talked with Animals. The rider is a self-portrait of Jan Fabre, gazing out toward the sea.
The sculpture stands on the seawall at Nieuwpoort-Bad beach, facing the sea. It is reached on foot along the seafront; the bronze is fully exposed to wind and salt spray, so the gold-coloured surface and the rein held by the rider are easiest to examine in dry, clear weather.
The title refers to Thomas More's Utopia, while the sculpture itself recalls Roald Dahl's 1977 story The Boy Who Talked with Animals. A copy has stood on the Citadel of Namur since 2015.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,015 contributors worldwide.
