80th anniversary of the Landing: this sculptor from the English Channel symbolizes freedom and the stars

“This pearl embodies the shine of Freedom, the one that our allies gave us back when they landed on the beaches 80 years ago. »

Thierry Marie is an artist and inventor of metalabove all a craftsman from Saint-Côme-du-Mont (delegated municipality of Carentan-les-Marais, Sleeve) Since 18 years oldwhich combines the traditional know-how of the profession of boilermaker-welder with a passion for design and innovation.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Landings, he set out to create a “souvenir” linked to this decisive military operation. Issues of The Tree of Liberty which he presented during the 75th anniversary of the Landing, these 50 mm diameter pearls – “a symbolic tribute to the Manche department” – gave him the basis for these small trophies that he imagined.

44 grams of Utah Beach sand

Then, his desire to make this object a symbol led him to put the figures in line with the commemorations. His weight, 80 grams for 80 year oldsor 44 grams of sandFor 1944from the beachUtah Beach : “Each grain recalls the heroic sacrifice for peace,” says the man of 65 years.

After presenting its idea, the attractiveness agency Channel Attitude placed an order for 10 “sober and emotional” units. “Two of them were given to Rachida Dati And Thomas Pesquet at Mont-Saint-Michel on the day the Olympic flame passed,” rejoices this company employee Montebourg Maurouard.

In addition to this order, the craftsman made 10 other pieces requiring a day and a half of work. Thanks to a few requests, he managed to hand-deliver one of his stars to Prince Albert II of Monaco Wednesday June 5, 2024, at the end of Caen-Carpiquet airport as he went, like many heads of state, to the Landing ceremony at Omaha Beach.

Exhibition at the National Assembly

In recent years, highlighting his work has finally paid off. Indeed, its metal sculpture, The Tree of Liberty, to which Thierry adds a layer each year, has been on display since May 3, 2024 on the monks’ promenade at Mont Saint-Michel for a period of two months. This opportunity that he was able to seize is in a way a “passport” and recognition for the former student of the technical school of the Normandy Metallurgical Company (SMN).

Indeed, after having also given one of the stars derived from this tree to Yaël Braun-Pivet, he will exhibit his work for a week at the National Assembly on the occasion of the European Heritage Days in September 2024.

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