Evocative exhibition to remember servicemen who died in Battle of the Somme

Belfast City Hall website described the ‘Shrouds Of The Somme’ project as a powerful piece of commemorative art which marks the centenary of the end of the First World War by remembering more than 72,000 Commonwealth servicemen who were killed at the Somme who have no known grave.

Many of their bodies were never recovered.For the artwork, artist Rob Heard has hand stitched and bound 72,396 figures, one for each fatality: the shrouds depict a human form, individually shaped, shrouded and made to a name.From 23 August – 16 September, 3,762 of the miniature shrouded figures will be laid out in the Garden of Remembrance at Belfast City Hall, representing those from the Ulster and Irish regiments, or from Belfast, with no known grave and whose names are on the Thiepval Memorial. In November, all 72,396 shrouds will be laid out, shoulder to shoulder, in hundreds of rows at Queen Elizabeth Park on Armistice Day.Similar shrounds have already been displayed in Exeter and Bristol, and attracted more than 145,000 visitors.More information on the project can be found at shroudsofthesomme.com/.