MAASMECHELEN.- Maasmechelen will soon welcome a remarkable artwork: 'Reflection' by Dutch artist Germaine Kruip. This monumental sound sculpture pays a poetic tribute to the historic ferries across the Meuse and will be unveiled on Sunday 22 March. With the announcement of Jennifer Tee as the final artist, the line-up for Art on the Meuse is now complete.
Tribute to a vanished ferry
The Meuse has always been a river of connection. Until the 1950s, a small ferry connected Meeswijk to Urmond, creating a vital link between the two shores. The residents of the Meuse Valley share a common history, traditions, and dialect. It is precisely at the site of the former ferry that Kruip’s sculpture serves as a tribute to this shared history.
From the very start of the project, a local working group from Maasmechelen was closely involved. They aimed to create a work of art that would enhance the landscape without dominating it. Together with Z33 and the Regional Landscape Kempen & Maasland, they explored the character of the location, its history, and the desire to realize a work that is subtle, poetic, and meaningful. Germaine Kruip was unanimously chosen to bring this vision to life.
An immersive sound sculpture
'Reflection' is not only a sculpture; it is also a musical instrument. Visitors can strike the instrument with a specially designed mallet, producing a deep, meditative sound. The gong recalls the bell of the old ferry, which could still be heard at this location until the 1950s. The tone evokes a longing for connection – with the opposite bank, the landscape, and the present moment.
The sculpture consists of a five-meter-long vertical brass bar, custom-tuned by renowned instrument maker Thein Brass in Bremen. The bar is suspended between two slender, ten-meter-high poles spaced 32 meters apart, designed to visually blend into the landscape. Two black granite benches invite visitors to sit and take in the view of the water.
"With 'Reflection', I want to create a moment where people not only hear the history but also experience the silence that now prevails. It is a work that encourages calm, but also connection – just like the ferry once did" , Kruip explains.
A new place of contemplation in Maasmechelen
Corrie Bemelmans, alderwoman for culture, emphasizes the importance of this new artwork: "With 'Reflection', Maasmechelen not only gains a work of art but also a new place to reflect. The work is a silent force on our riverbank and invites us to rediscover our landscape – with fresh eyes and ears."
Art project reveals final name: Jennifer Tee
In addition to Germaine Kruip, Maasmechelen is set to welcome another new work this summer. With Jennifer Tee, Visit Flanders and Z33 have announced the final new name for Art on the Meuse.
Tee is creating a new sculpture – Womb of Time – at the Vilain XIIII Castle Estate in Maasmechelen. The estate owes its rich tree population to Charles Vilain XIIII (1803–1878), a Belgian politician, diplomat and passionate dendrologist who had the park redesigned in the 19th century. During a walk across the estate, she selected various tree leaves, the imprints of which she incorporated into bricks. With this, Tee translates her internationally acclaimed Tampan Tulip collages into a public brick sculpture for the first time.
Leen Gysen, CEO of Visit Flanders: “The work builds a meaningful bridge between nature and the history of the former maternity hospital on the grounds. Whilst the building is disappearing, the sculpture anchors this place in the landscape in a new way. By incorporating bricks from the maternity hospital into the artwork, the past remains present and a dialogue is created between art and the environment.”
Adinda Van Geystelen, General & Artistic Director of Z33 – House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture: ‘In Jennifer Tee’s work, the landscape breathes with it: leaves become bricks, time becomes tangible. She turns leaves into a compass, as it were: they point us towards what remains, what disappears and what begins anew.’
Germaine Kruip lives and works between Brussels, Amsterdam, and London. Her work has been exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (NL), the Biennale of Sydney (AU), Art Basel (CH), Frieze London (UK), Manchester International Festival (UK), the Biennale of Puerto Rico (PR), the São Paulo Museum of Art (BR), the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art (JP), the Rotterdamse Schouwburg (NL), the Kaaitheater in Brussels (BE), and the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center in Troy, New York (US).
