Chagrin de merde at Etablissement d’en face

Artists: Angélique Aubrit, Ludovic Beillard, Hugo Dinër

Exhibition title: Chagrin de merde

Venue: Etablissement d’en face, Brussels, Belgium

Date: January 23 – March 21, 2021

Photography: Ludovic Beillard / all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and Etablissement d’en face

“I went back to one of the shelters and walked between the cages when a tiny sigh caught my attention. I turned to look and there you were, with those dark coffee-colored eyes, almost black. You looked at me and I felt something tug at my heartstrings. I began the process of adopting you and was able to take you home. The woman who was looking after you warned me that you’d suffered terribly, that you’d been mistreated by very cruel people who had harmed you and almost taken away your spirit.”

“Thank you”

“I’m writing this letter to you to say thank you. Thank you for saving me from the darkness, and thank you for filling my life with joy with your games and mischief, like hiding socks so you could play with them later. Thank you for helping me see that it wasn’t me who saved you, but rather you who saved me. You gave me the chance to truly love. This letter is dedicated to my great friend who once filled my days with light and who is now lighting up the sky with his great dark coffee-colored eyes.”

“I don’t know where you are, but I want you to know how much I miss you. We did everything we could to care for you, to love you, because you were one of us. If there’s a heaven up there, I’m sure that God has taken you to have you with him. Thank you for your kindness and affection, for the tender gaze in those little eyes which were slowly becoming sadder and sadder.”

“That Friday night and Saturday morning remain so fresh in my memory. I wanted to stay all night stroking you, talking to you, and crying by your side, but you were so calm, sleeping painlessly, without the convulsions you had suffered for so many days. But I decided to leave you in peace. I still remember how, before entering the clinic, you said goodbye with a little moan. I remember how we had given you sedatives so that you would be calm in that place you hated so much: the vets. Thank you for saying goodbye.”

https://myanimals.com/health/veterinarian-care/illnesses-and-treatment/a-letter-to-my-dog-in-heaven/