When he came across the statue Silent Struggle in Amsterdam in 2023, he, together with a friend of his, conceived the plan to bring the statue to Hilversum as well. It will be on the Kerkbrink until 23 September 2024.
The art project Stille Strijd by artist SAZZA that travels through the Netherlands stands out because of its bright colours. The idea behind this is that you can look happy, even if you are not. The theme 'the gloom of young people' is clearly visible in the attitude of the young person. "We all know from the news and all kinds of research that the mental health of young people is poor. Every month, 24 young people die of suicide nationwide, that's about a class per month!", says Alfons.
Open the conversation
The intention is that Hilversummers, young and old, will find an entrance to open the conversation with each other, partly through this image. Alfons: “In addition, passers-by can delve deeper into this issue when seeing the artwork. Because it is a difficult theme. How do you recognize a mental problem of a person in your environment? Often no one has noticed it and the suicide attempt comes as a surprise. It is a silent battle, so let's make that battle a bit more transparent, try to break it open, remove the taboo a bit. By drawing attention to it, the municipality also shows how big the issue is.”
Preventing suicide attempts
Together with a good friend Guus Beijer and his daughter Wies, Alfons forms the initiative group Stille Strijd Hilversum with which they developed various activities. “My daughter hopes to prevent what she has experienced by encouraging young people with mental problems to talk to someone they trust. In this way, she contributes to the objective of the statue based on her own experience,” says Alfons. To draw extra attention to the subject of mental health, you can participate in various free activities until 22 September. The program is on: hilversum.nl/stillestrijd.
Are you thinking about suicide? Talking helps. Contact us 24/7 for free and anonymously 0800 0113 or chat on 113.nl.
