The mussel shell is a common material in the artist's work. Here, he filled a shallow pan past its brim with the shells and paired them with an equally heaping bowl of painted wooden french fries. This combination is a witty nod to Broodthaers's heritage, as moules-frites (mussels and french fries) is generally considered the Belgian national dish. Moreover, in French, la moule (a mussel) is close in pronunciation and spelling to le moule (a cast or mold), a traditional device used by sculptors. By incorporating the shells into his sculpture, Broodthaers transformed a verbal pun into a visual one.
Gallery label from 2012.