Inner Circle, 2021
Wood and steel; ≈ h 88 × d 86 cm, r 445 cm, D ≈ 890 cm, P ≈ 2800 cm.
Nadia Kaabi-Linke brings her circular installation 'Inner Circle' to the Burg, comprising public benches that, although beautifully shiny, are rendered inaccessible due to the addition of sharp pins. As a visitor, you cannot sit down or relax on them, making it impossible to use the benches to meet other people. Kaabi-Linke drew inspiration from researching the plaques and signs on buildings home to exclusive clubs or associations, with the circle often used as their geometrical basis. Pedestrians can equally find such signs on Bruges' façades.
With 'Inner Circle,' she seeks to bring these elite groups and other social circles, where the line between hospitality and exclusion is often fragile, into the spotlight. Her eye-catching shimmering sculpture draws attention to what is usually hidden inside, accentuating the emptiness that remains in between.
