inverse ruin: gijs van vaerenbergh suspends temple remains in italy

Gijs Van Vaerenbergh’s intervention in southern italy

Inverse Ruin by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh stands within the Archaeological Park of Herakleia in Policoro, Italy a quiet expanse where traces of the Archaic Temple meet the open landscape of the Ionian plain. Developed as part of the broader project Siris, curated by STUDIO STUDIO STUDIO with artistic direction by Antonio Oriente, the installation forms one of several interventions intended to bring clarity to a site shaped by layered histories.

Set within the park’s so-called Vallata Mediana, the work introduces a temporary structure that aligns itself with both the ground conditions and the fragmented archaeology around it. Siris spans the park through artist-specific works, though Inverse Ruin occupies a distinct architectural register: one shaped by measured geometry, an explicit frame, and a dialogue with the uneven stone remnants at its feet.

images © Roberto Conte

a steel frame suspends an inverse ruin

Approached from the main path, Gijs Van Vaerenbergh’s Inverse Ruin appears as a precise volume lifted from the plan of the Archaic Temple. The Belgian studio worked with a system of steel members that trace the original footprint while leaving the air and light to carry the form. The clear, permeable envelope thus allows visitors to understand the temple’s dimensions through a structure that feels ancient and weightless.

Walking beneath the open frame produces a direct encounter with the archaeological remains. The steel offers a crisp silhouette against the sky, while the ruins below present irregular textures that shift subtly in changing daylight. Each side of the installation strengthens the legibility of the ancient plan, and guides visitors through a sequence that follows the geometry before dissolving into the surrounding park.

Inverse Ruin traces the footprint of the Archaic Temple through a precise steel frame

the low-impact lattice

The choice of material heightens the relationship between permanence and change. Slim steel sections form a lattice that meets the terrain with careful footing, avoiding disturbance to the ground. This approach reflects the guiding principles of Siris, which emphasizes reversible, low-impact interventions that maintain the integrity of the archaeological field.

Seen from a distance, the contrast between the ordered frame and the scattered stones makes each element clearer. The metal lines appear almost chromatic in certain conditions, shifting from cool to warm as the sun moves across the site.

Inverse Ruin bridges the distance between the past form and present condition by reconstructing only the essential lines of the temple. The absence of walls turns the volume into a walk-through drawing, where spatial memory becomes physically navigable. Each corner aligns with a corresponding point of the archaeological plan, enabling visitors to sense the scale of the ancient structure through the rhythm of the steel frame.

the installation by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh brings new clarity to the archaeological plan

Siris positions Inverse Ruin as part of a broader interpretive strategy for the Archaeological Park of Herakleia. Alongside works by Selva Aparicio and Max Magaldi — each responding to different aspects of the sanctuary landscape — the duo’s installation addresses the architectural legacy of the Archaic Temple through a contemporary spatial reading. The project was commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Culture and shaped through extended research, site surveys, and dialogue with the local context.

Within this framework, the contribution by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh highlights how such a precise architectural gesture can recreate the relationships between ancient fragments.

light and air move freely through the steel outline of the ancient volume