Artproject 'Sint-Ursula' Primary school Laken
Marie-Ange Guilleminot
-
Status:
Design
-
Education type:
Free Subsidised Education
-
Education level:
Primary Education (pre-school + primary)
-
Address:
Dieudonné Lefèvrestraat 41, 1020 Brussel
-
Client:
The Flemish Government Architect's Team
-
Keywords:
Art Commission, Community school
-
Related project:
Marie-Ange Guilleminot’s ‘sculptures’ invariably arise in response to a situation. The objects she makes are intended to foster a dialogue between people, in which process and transfer are more important than the object itself. First and foremost, therefore, Guilleminot wants to reflect – together with the architects and the school team – on the use of the new building. Her contribution could take the form of a kind of ‘furnituresculpture’ capable of growing with the building and which, like the school itself, would be in a constant state of development. To get the ball rolling, she conceived a meuble spirale – a multi-purpose, movable series of shelf units that can be unfolded in various different shapes as preferred. It comprises 14 wooden elements held together with webbing. A system of ball-bearings allows them to be moved and reconfigured quickly and easily. Depending on the chosen height, the object can also serve when closed as a kind of podium or table. The artist was inspired by, amongst other things, the highly functional and simple design of a wooden powder compact from her own collection (see illustration p. 96). The design also responds to the architecture of the new school, which features a somewhat spiral-shaped pattern of circulation. The furniture-sculpture could function as a bookcase or for the storage of educational objects. It could also be used, however, to organise or compartmentalise the space. The meuble spirale would be cons - tructed from different types of wood, making it a kind of sample display too. The different varieties would be selected on the basis of environmental impact and sustainability. The piece would require a stable, flat and smooth floor surface.
In addition to the furniture-sculpture, the artist has designed a ‘book’ in grey felt, with the precise dimensions of a standard concrete building block (38.9 x 18.9 x 13.8 cm). There are pre-cut soles in the ‘pages’ of the book, which the users of the space can remove and wear as slippers, held on by a simple knotting system. The intention is for children and adults to use these ‘building blocks’ in lots of other ways too – building a wall, for instance, or a maze or den.