monument by anouk de clercq by anouk de clercq from belgium

at the request of ghent city council, anouk de clercq designed a monument to students. in the vacant space of the saint peter’s square, near the church of saint peter’s abbey, on the large wall beside the stairs, she created a work that runs over several levels. the image on the wall in the underground car park of saint peter’s square portrays a library full of book spines, composed in a rhythm of rectangles in various sizes and shades of grey. an abstract library.

the rhythm of the image is reinforced by an interactive soundscape: the minute you approach the mural, you hear a gentle sound. as you climb or descend the stairs, you are treated to a different layer of sound as you reach the individual levels of this empty space.

anouk de clercq derived her inspiration for this work from the nearby "book tower" by renowned architect henri van de velde. with this work she makes the link between knowledge – one aspect of student life she wished to see emphasized – and the historical significance of the surrounding area.