inflatable sculpture in ghent asks visitors to ‘pump for democracy’ to keep it standing

zweintopf’s seven-meter-high work turns a familiar monument into a physical exercise, requiring visitors to continuously pump air into the sculpture or watch it gradually collapse into an empty shell.

thomai tsimpou October 8, 2026 4 min

zweintopf’s sculpture ONLY STANDS WITH CONTINUOUS EFFORT

A white inflatable sculpture by Austrian artist duo zweintopf floats on the moat beside Ghent’s Gravensteen, asking passersby to physically sustain a symbol of democracy. Titled Perseverance (Goddess of Democracy), the seven-meter-high work reinterprets the Goddess of Democracy erected by Chinese art students on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in May 1989, shortly before the military suppression of the pro-democracy protests. At the Belgian castle, the sculpture remains upright only through the continuous work of a pumping station.

Visitors are invited to keep pumping air into the sculpture, with the accompanying exercise described as ‘Train your perseverance!’ Stop, and the figure gradually collapses into an empty shell. The work therefore shifts democracy away from an image of permanence and toward something dependent on participation, maintenance and collective effort.

The work has appeared in several contexts since its first presentation in 2019, including UNIKUM’s Europapark in Klagenfurt, steirischer herbst’s Sculptures in Exile, the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn, Kunstverein Graz and other exhibitions. For its current presentation in Ghent, the recently reopened Design Museum Gent commissioned a replica of the work.

inflatable sculpture in ghent asks visitors to 'pump for democracy' to keep it standing - 1 — zweintopf, Perseverance (Godess of Democracy), since 2019 | all images by Design Museum Gent, unless stated otherwise. The statue is currently floating next to the Count’s Castle in Ghent. Next week, it moves to the inner courtyard of Design Museum Gent

A NEW LIFE FOR THE GODDESS OF DEMOCRACY

The original Goddess of Democracy was a 10-meter-high statue created by Chinese art students and installed on Tiananmen Square in 1989. It was destroyed during the violent suppression of the student protests. The project by the artist duo zweintopf makes its fragility part of the meaning. The sculpture is made from textile and plastic with wood and metal components, connected to a pumping installation that keeps the figure inflated. Its monumental scale recalls the authority of a public statue, while its dependence on air makes that authority visibly unstable.

The smooth white surface and simplified body of the figure stand in direct contrast to the castle’s masonry, crenellations and defensive architecture. One represents permanence and fortification; the other can disappear as soon as its support is withdrawn. The pumping mechanism asks passersby to contribute physical effort to prevent it from disappearing, creating a small system in which the condition of the object depends on the behavior of the people around it. The symbolism is direct, but the physical experience makes the proposition difficult to ignore.

zweintopf’s white inflatable sculpture stands on the moat beside Gravensteen in Ghent

from gravensteen to design museum gent

The sculpture is currently installed beside Gravensteen and is scheduled to remain there through October 14th, 2026, before moving to the inner courtyard of Design Museum Gent from October 15th. The installation is part of Public Matter(s): Democracy Workout, a program that invites visitors to practice skills such as listening, finding their voice, negotiating compromises, and dealing constructively with conflict, proposing that democracy depends on people actively taking part in it.

the sculpture contrasts with the stone walls and fortified architecture of Ghent’s Gravensteen

the seven-meter-high figure stands on a floating platform in the moat | image courtesy of zweintopf

the sculpture’s simplified form recalls the original Goddess of Democracy erected in Tiananmen Square in 1989 | image ©designboom

the sculpture sits on a floating platform surrounded by the castle’s medieval architecture | image ©designboom

the inflatable figure stands in front of the crenellated walls of Gravensteen | image ©designboom

the figure’s simplified features and inflated surface are visible up close | image courtesy of zweintopf

passersby stop to look at the sculpture | image courtesy of zweintopf

inflatable sculpture in ghent asks visitors to 'pump for democracy' to keep it standing - 2 — a sign invites visitors to keep the sculpture standing by ‘pumping for democracy’ | image ©designboom

project info:

name: Perseverance (Goddess of Democracy)
artist: zweintopf | @zweintopf
location: Gravensteen, Ghent, Belgium; Design Museum Gent from October 15th, 2026