The Hourglass

A real curiosity in Dunkirk, the Hourglass is a symbolic tribute to Operation Dynamo, the massive evacuation that saved hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers from Dunkirk’s beaches. This towering hourglass stands as a haunting reminder of time itself — the agonizing wait, the crushing weight of uncertainty carried by those soldiers stranded on the sand, clinging to hope for rescue. But like an hourglass that can be turned, it also represents the possibility of reversal — the hope that what seemed like crushing defeat could somehow be transformed into salvation. Created by Lille-based visual artist Séverine Hubard and unveiled in 2017 to coincide with Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk, this sculpture captures both the darkness and the ultimate triumph of that historic moment.