It seems that religion has played an important role in the through the history.  Churches , decorations, paintings, sculptures or statues have always been challenges for artist. There is new, modern concept of  perspectives and views. Two young architects Pieterjan Gijs(1983) and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh (1983) constructed a transparent, see-through church in the Belgian region of Haspengouw. Their main interests are experimentation, reflection and a physical involvement of the viewer. It is, moreover, an enthusiastic long-term art installation located in a public space, and it is a  part of the Z-OUT project for Z33 House for Contemporary Art.

The height of this artwork is ten meter, and the structure is made of 100 stacked layers and 2000 columns of steel plates. They are arranged in such a way  to allow visitors to perceive it as a traditional church, or according to the point of perspective the seemingly solid walls seem to break up and beautiful landscape can be seen. An equally outstanding figure can be perceived when one looks out to the landscape from the surrounding countryside which is redefined by abstract lines of the church’s architecture.

An another interesting aspect is the play of light and shadow which can be perceived only in the case that the viewer is inside the church. According to the different times of the day and the position of the sun the interior of the church changes. Feelings of supremacy, spirituality and of something supernatural are created by this admirable play of lights and shadows.

This project was named, in cooperation with Z33, by the architects : ‘Reading between the Lines’  and that project extends the idea of the transparent as the unseen or even the covert. These arghitects introduce art into the public space and access  a dialogue with its surroundings. The visitors are challenged to consider the meaning of a church as an architectural building and as a religious symbol in a totally new way. The landscape includes myriad of stories that are not always recognized at first sight. It is a task to learn how to look differently at everyday objects…and read between the lines.

LOCATION
Borgloon, Limburg (B)
50°47’44.56″N – 5°21’2.82″O

Source: gijsvanvaerenbergh.com