There are moments when the body becomes poetry, when a simple movement expresses everything the heart longs to say.

In Higher Expectations I, Marc de Corte captures a woman suspended between earth and sky, her body unfolding in a graceful, almost dreamlike gesture. One foot touches the ground while the other seems to carry her beyond it, as though she were stepping into a world of infinite possibilities. Her head gently tilts upward, her posture open and serene, embodying the quiet courage of someone who dares to expect more from life.

There is something profoundly moving in this figure. She does not appear to be running away from the world, but rising above its limitations. Her movement suggests freedom, self-discovery, and the beautiful moment when we choose to believe in ourselves again.

Placed beside water, her reflection creates a second, almost magical presence. The sculpture seems to exist between two worlds — the tangible and the imagined, the woman we are and the person we are still becoming. The surrounding nature becomes part of the artwork, turning every change of light, every ripple, and every season into a new interpretation.

Marc de Corte’s sculptures possess a remarkable emotional openness. Their simplified forms leave room for our own dreams, memories, and aspirations. Higher Expectations I speaks to that deeply human desire to grow, to move forward, and to embrace the possibility of something greater.

For a collector, this is more than a beautiful figure. It is a poetic companion, a daily reminder that life is not only about where we stand, but also about where we dare to reach.

A sculpture of grace, hope, and quiet strength — one that brings a sense of movement and inspiration wherever it finds its place.

Sometimes, the most beautiful way forward is to rise.