Earth, Water, and Fire Trophy
The «Earth, Water, and Fire Trophy» by José Crespo is a commemorative work honoring Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME). Crafted in bronze and mounted on a multicolored base, this sculpture symbolizes the versatility and courage of the UME in their disaster response and emergency operations.
The central figure of the trophy is a bust of a UME member, sculpted with detail and precision. The bust rests on a diagonally striped shield, adding an element of strength and protection to the composition. The soldier’s serene and determined expression reflects the commitment and dedication that define the members of the UME.
Beneath the shield, the base of the sculpture is composed of color blocks representing the elements of earth, water, fire, and air, which correspond to the UME’s diverse operational challenges. These colors not only add vibrant visual contrast but also symbolize the various adversities faced by the UME in their mission to protect and serve.
The combination of bronze with the vivid colors of the base creates a visually striking piece, highlighting the importance and respect for this military unit. The sturdy base ensures the trophy’s stability, while its stepped design suggests progress and triumph—values that are essential to the UME’s ethos.
«The ‘Earth, Water, and Fire Trophy’ of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) recognizes individuals, institutions, entities, or public and private organizations that have collaborated with the UME in fulfilling its mission. It is awarded annually on the feast day of its patroness, Our Lady of the Rosary, at their headquarters located at the Torrejón Air Base in Madrid.
The UME, through its commander, commissioned me to redesign the trophy that had been used up to that point. This was not the first commission I received from the UME, as you may have already seen the ‘General Coll Trophy’ I created a few years ago.
While the previous trophy was a completely new creation, this time the goal was to give a fresh look to an existing design. Earth, Water, and Fire—the challenge was to represent these three elements in a figure while also symbolizing the UME in some way.
It was undoubtedly a challenge, involving the creation of various sketches until we arrived at the final design, working closely with the UME’s General Staff and incorporating their valuable ideas.
The final design you see represents a member of the UME emerging from a monolithic or pyramidal obelisk divided into three segments, each with colors symbolizing the three desired elements.
This obelisk serves as a tribute to a unit that is at the forefront of finding solutions to new emergency risks, emphasizing its greatest asset: its members and their values.
I began working on it in Brussels in September 2017, while I was on assignment there, and completed it in Strasbourg in March 2018, during my posting.»
José Crespo
