Here stands a testament to art. It is an open-air museum. This is the Humanist Sculpture Park. It is located on the VUB Main Campus. The Humanist Sculpture Park is free to visit any time. Parking is available. The area is wheelchair-accessible.
But how did the Humanist Sculpture Park come to be? Over forty years ago, the VUB Alumni Association donated its first sculpture. This was in 1980. It marked the start of the collection of outdoor sculptures. The Alumni Association wanted to make the university grounds more beautiful. The VUB split off from the ULB in 1969. Functional, grey buildings were erected on the former military training grounds. Little attention was paid to the surrounding area. That changed with the installation of the first open-air sculpture.
The collection of open-air sculptures is still expanding. Professor Emeritus Willem Elias strived for more art on campus. Over the years, this resulted in a university sculpture collection with a humanist touch. The artists are influential names in Belgian art. They are also considered genuine freethinkers. Through their art, they express principles. These principles are freedom of inquiry, liberalism, science, democracy, friendship and compassion.
Exploring art in the open air stimulates the senses. This cannot be replicated in museums. A confrontation with open-air sculptures can never be experienced twice in the same way. The changing environmental conditions place the art objects in a different light. The freedom to move around the sculptures results in alternating impressions.
Each sculpture has a QR code. Scan it with your smartphone. Discover the stories behind the sculptures.
Let’s focus on one example. Consider Paul Van Gysegem’s “Enkidu”. It is from 1985. The bronze sculpture stands 260 cm tall. Van Gysegem conceived the idea while strolling the Esplanade in 1984. He wanted to transform the aesthetic desert. In 1985, “Enkidu” was installed on campus. It honored the 15th anniversary of VUB.
“Enkidu” symbolizes man’s eternal inner struggle. This is the pursuit of unrealistic ideals. It also means confronting his own failure. This tension is a recurring theme in Van Gysegem’s art. According to the artist, the meaning of life lies precisely in that struggle. It does not lie in winning the battle.
Another sculpture here is Jean Bilquin’s “De Stap” or “The Step”. It was created in 2001. It stood in Bilquin’s own garden for a long time. In 2019, a humanitarian organization donated it to VUB.
“De Stap” reminds us of free inquiry in education and science. It is also a nod to those who work to realise the university’s liberal values. Students may be reminded of the leap of faith they took when starting at the university. Bilquin says people have to take a thousand pointless steps to take one meaningful one. Then, they realize that step, too, was pointless.
Since the summer of 2021, ten new sculptures complement the permanent collection. These are created by a younger generation of contemporary artists. They are exhibited in four clusters. The works of art stay there for two years. Afterwards they will make way for new sculptures. This project is an initiative of Pilar. Pilar is the cultural center located on the VUB main campus.
Several of the recent works of art are linked to the theme of activism. Other sculptures form a visual response to the social and architectural context of the campus. The Humanist Sculpture Park is more than just art. It is a reflection of our values.