CAMIEL VAN BREEDAM - BELGICA

SOME CULTURE...

Sculpture in Corten steel and enamel arches (1987)

With his “Belgica” sculpture the artist calls for reflection and imagination on the theme of the famous ship. The square was built with bricks from Boom (where the artist was born) and forms the general framework for the assemblage, which alludes to a metro undercarriage as much as to the masts of the boat of the same name. This ship explored the territories of the South Pole during a journey under the leadership of Baron Adrien de Gerlache from 1897 to 1899 and undertook the first winter stay in the Antarctic. In fresh and cheerful contrast with the severe sculpture in Corten steel, the seven arches covered in enamel paint stretch the colours of the rainbow across the entrance stairs to the station. With this natural, geometric construction, the artist alludes to the importance of preserving the environment of the South Pole for the sake of the earth’s climate and environment.