gijs van vaerenbergh's 'giant sculpture' emerges from a belgian dune

artist gijs van vaerenbergh marks the highest point of the belgian nature reserve ‘hoge mouw’ with this work entitled ‘a giant sculpture.’ the permanent, site-specific piece offers the viewer a connection with the natural and cultural history of the region. the artist created the sculpture to occupy the natural, forested site near kasterlee, belgium — a varied landscape with coniferous forests on sandy soil, moors, fens, open sand drifts, hollow roads and streams. 

all images © matthijs van der burgt

gijs van vaerenbergh sites ‘a giant sculpture’ along the highest point of the ridge, atop a sand dune at the hoge mouw which measures nearly one hundred feet in height. the sculpture is conceived as a faceted head, with a form that recalls the shape also of a dome. it is made up of 2,115 welded metal triangles with a thickness of six millimeters. in a number of spots, pieces have been left out, making the hollow space occupiable, with a cavernous entrance on one side. 

despite its size, gijs van vaerenberg’s sculpture does not reveal itself entirely at once. from within the forest, the visitor enters the open, sunken area where the monumental head lies. the head, appearing as if it had just been uncovered, rises from the parabola dune like a vestige of ancient times. its face has the classical features typically found in greek sculpture, while it is reminiscent of excavated fragments of ancient sculptures of enormous dimensions.

project info:

project title: a giant sculpture
artist: gijs van vaerenbergh
location: ‘hoge mouw’ nature reserve, kasterlee, belgium
photography: matthijs van der burgt