In the new building of day-care centre De Boekenmolen, toddlers can take their first steps with the help of a few colourful chums: the ‘Squiggly Friends’.
Frans De Coninckstraat , 9050Ledeberg
URA architectenbureau
Ghent’s lowest tunnel (with a height of just 1.67 metres) has been frequently used by pedestrians and cyclists for many years. In 2022, architecture firm URA gave it a makeover.
The AVL man came to Ghent during the major open-air exhibition ‘Over The Edges’ (2000), and was subsequently purchased by the City of Ghent. In 2006, he found his home on the redeveloped E3-plein square in Ledeberg.
Jules de Saint-Genoisstraat, 9050Gentbrugge
LAb[au]
In the De Porre neighbourhood in Gentbrugge, passers-by can enjoy a light art installation located on the monumental cooling tower.
The work of art is entitled Palimpsest, which means a parchment that has been written on more than once. That is exactly what the artwork does: overwrite.
Visitors of daycare centre De Bron are welcomed at the entrance by a remarkable work of art by Sven ‘t Jolle. The statue Sans papiers – uit de kindertijd van de mens is a tribute to the ancient symbols of birth and care. The playful, modern shapes of the piece refer to the daycare centre’s refreshing view on child care and its inclusive ways.
The inhabitants of Alphonse De Hollainhof have gotten a couple of new peculiar neighbours thanks to Ghent interior architect Nora De Rudder. The artist’s ‘Wild Horses’ were put in the housing estate’s common green area.
Ghent folk hero Walter De Buck created the statue Taptoe Feest in 1993 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Theater Taptoe, a legendary theatre that made the Ghent puppet theatre scene famous in Belgium and abroad. TAPTOE’s erf, the organisation which manages the theatre’s heritage, donated the artwork to the city of Ghent.
Since 2018, Drongen has had a very special inhabitant: De Zonneschilder, a poetic statue by sculptor MaRf. This work of art depicts an artist pretending to paint the sunset in an attempt to capture the intangible beauty of nature.
Art cannot only give a quarter an upgrade, it can also make it greener. Marc Nagtzaam proved this with his piece for the Standaert site in Ledeberg. Although it’s the artist’s first work of art to be displayed in a public space, it has a tremendous impact on the entire site’s atmosphere.
To remind local residents and passers-by of the rural past of this quarter, artist Kasper Bosmans made a piece of art with enamelled panels on which a cabbage field is depicted. The cabbage field is a nod to the inhabitants of the area between Holstraat and Einde Were, who were called koolkappers (cabbage choppers).