Reading between the Lines

‘Reading between the lines’ is a project by architect duo Gijs Van Vaerenbergh. Since 2007, they have been realizing projects in public space together that start from their architectural background, but have an artistic intention. This particular art piece was installed in 2011 as part of ‘pit’, an artistic initiative in the public space by art institution Z33.

The see-through church in Borgloon is 10 metres high and consists of 100 layers of weathered steel plates stacked on top of one another atop a concrete base. The construction weighs no less than 30 tons. Depending on the perspective of the viewer, the church is either perceived as a massive building, or dissolves — partly or completely — into the landscape. Those viewers that look from the inside of the church to the outside, on the other hand, witness an abstract play of lines that reshapes the surrounding landscape. In this way, church and landscape can both be considered part of the work — hence also its title, which implies that to read between the lines, one must also read the lines themselves. In other words: the church makes the subjective experience of the landscape visible, and vice versa.

The see-through church can be viewed and entered for free. Be sure to combine your visit with a walk or bike ride along the fruit orchards and beautiful landscapes.