Curtains for the ZIN project in Brussels North/ Belpaire building

The title of the work, VERSUNKENE GÄRTEN (2024), reveals the hidden beauty in the unfathomable depths of the ocean. Shapes disappear into the folds, evoking the idea of “versunken.” These shapes appear to come from a plant world, but remain enigmatic and abstract. On one side, recognizable silhouettes of plants and flowers appear, as if slowly revealing themselves from the depths.

Although Gerhard is a painter, she made an in-situ work for the first time with this art integration. The curtains divide the space, improve acoustics and make the room more intimate and pleasant with a warm, soft feel due to the wool material chosen. The back reveals abstract residual shapes from the front, where visible threads create an intriguing play of lines and shapes. The thread used to sew on a shape acts as a drawing and is as important as the shapes themselves. The thread connects the pieces and symbolizes connections, while the restaurant serves as a meeting place for new contacts. Njørd Sew For Life, an initiative that promotes the economic emancipation and integration of female asylum seekers in Brussels, diligently carried out the sewing.

The work was installed in July 2024 on the ground and first floors of the new Marie-Elisabeth Belpaire building. The building, part of which is public, located in the so-called office area called Manhattan in Brussels, can be visited during office hours. The address is Boulevard Simon Bolivar 17, 1000 Brussels. It was made at the invitation of Zin in Noord, an affiliate of Befimmo, and the Flemish authorities.

Fotos: Filip Dujardin