Mark 8 years: sincere tribute from Lazerian to attack the Manchester 22 Arena

Today has marked eight years since the bombing of the Manchester Arena – a tragic event that took 22 lives and injured much more on May 22, 2017. It was a moment that left the city in shock, but also revealed strength and resilience for which Manchester is known.

In the morning after the attack, the Lazérien founder Liam Hopkins created a sculpture – a big heart of five feet black paper – as an immediate and personal response to what had happened. Made from paper and glue, the materials were chosen to reflect the emotional fragility of the moment, while also recognizing the strength that keeps the city and its communities together.

Painted black as a brand of mourning and respect, the sculpture also wore a gilded yellow – a subtle wink with the symbolic color of Manchester. It was a way to show that even if the city was deeply affected, it would not be defined by tragedy alone. Yellow was a silent but optimistic signal of unit and support.

The heart was placed on King Street in Manchester, where he stayed for three weeks. Although it is not designed as a formal installation, it has become a space so that people can bring together, reflect and pay tribute. Lots of flowers or messages left; Others simply stopped in silence. Sculpture was a focal point for collective mourning and memory.

After its time in the city center, the heart was sold at auction, with all the profits given to Forever ManchesterA charitable organization that supports community projects in the Grand Manchester. It was bought by Affleck PalaceWhere it is still today as a permanent element among other creative tributes to the city – including murals and works that reflect Manchester’s cultural identity.

The room has never been intended to be durable or developed. It was created quickly, in response to sorrow, as a way to understand what had happened and to offer something – as small – to the inhabitants of Manchester.

Eight years later, the heart remains one of Lazérien’s most significant works. This is a reminder not only of lost lives, but the way Manchester replied: with strength, care and unit.

We remember those who have been lost and we continue to stand with all the people affected.