Discover past and present in the layering of land and sea
Studio Ossidiana has placed Earthsea Pavilion, a cylindrical installation that connects land and sea, history and nature, in the courtyard of the 15th-century city palace, Hof Bladelin.
Inspired by Bruges’ rich history and its link to the sea, the Rotterdam-based firm with Italian roots allows the substrata – as seen in archaeological surveys – to surface in Earthsea Pavilion.
The 6-metre-wide silo is composed of different materials, stacked on top of each other like individual ecosystems. Mixed into the construction are plants and flowers (in seed form) that – like the material layers themselves – will transform over time. As a result, the work will change during the spring and summer months of the Bruges Triennial 2024 Earthsea Pavilion occupies a site that breathes history: Hof Bladelin, a building whose story dates back to the year 1435. The site not only symbolises the growth and prosperity of Bruges in the Golden Age, but also the topical issues that arise in a UNESCO World Heritage context: how do we ensure that historic buildings do not become ghosts of the past and retain their contemporary relevance?
