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Everyone knows more or less what justice means. But how do you represent it without Lady Justice and her scales? That was the task set for three artists by the Dutch state. The aim was to create a work of art that our country would present to the International Criminal Court, which was given a new home in 2016. Since 2002, this International Criminal Court, or ICC for short, has been trying people and regimes suspected of having committed crimes against humanity.

The jury unanimously chose the design by talented artist Navid Nuur from The Hague. In all the conversations and meetings Nuur had for this commission, he noticed that law and justice evoke many emotions. Many tears were shed in this criminal court. Tears of sorrow, but also of joy and of anger. In earlier work, he had already investigated what happens when you let human fluids dry up. With tears, the result turned out to be: salt crystals. And these are naturally abundant in the sea. The sea that connects all the continents and where The Hague and the ICC are situated.

Trained as a graphic designer and active as a skater and graffiti artist, Nuur made the switch to the visual arts around 2005. For him, it is essential that his images are about more than just form. He sees art as a tool or even a place where you can look at the world around you in a different way.

It is typical for Nuur that he turned the tears into a totally abstract sculpture: 'The Gift'. It is a powerful form, which presents itself differently from different angles. Moreover, this abstract form does not take sides. Even those who are disappointed that their leader is on trial know that they are represented in it. Nuur considers this important, because everyone has a right to justice.