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Just turn around at the top of the stairs and you are ready for a perfect selfie for Instagram or Facebook. The giant bronze wings embrace you immediately. And if you want to be photographed together with someone: there is plenty of room. In fact, this is exactly what Jorge Marín intended. This Mexican sculptor designed his 'Alas de Mexico' (Mexican Wings) specifically to bring people from all sorts of countries and cultures into contact with each other.

Marín started his career with ceramics, but switched to bronze around 2010. His 'Alas de Mexico' were created in that period. The motif of wings can regularly be found in the oeuvre of this classical sculptor. Sometimes in combination with an animal, more often with a human being, but also on its own. To him, wings are the universal symbol of freedom. Because of their mobility, they are able to explore other areas, other countries. Implicitly, they invite us to recognise migration and cultural exchange as factors that enrich our society. His intention was to spread his 'Alas de Mexico' all over the world. By 2020, permanent versions of them will be erected in thirteen cities on four continents.

One such permanent place is The Hague. That is where the 'Alas de Mexico' arrived as a gift from the government of Mexico to the International Criminal Court (ICC). On 12 September 2019, it was unveiled on the dune near the International Criminal Court. In her speech, Mexican Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights Martha Delgado compared the artwork to the court itself: "A parallel can be drawn between 'The Wings of Mexico' and the quest for justice that is the leitmotif of the ICC. Just as these wings are only complete through the addition of a physical body, the court serves as the body that shapes and ultimately implements justice."