De Profundis I, 2012, Wood, 660 x 700 x 900 cm

Temporary installation for Façade, Middelburg, NL (courtesy: CBK Zeeland)

The gate De Profundis was built on the sloping hill near the Seisbrug, and its title refers to Psalm 130, a funeral chant: “The unfolding of Your words spreads the light, giving insight to the unwise.” The artwork has five openings at three different levels. This layering symbolizes a descent and, in a more spiritual sense, represents Dante’s description of the journey from hell through purgatory to paradise. It is a black, monumental sculpture that rises from the earth, evoking the idea of a hidden space. In this way, it functions as a façade—revealing yet concealing much more.

Hidden behind the park's bushes lies the Jewish cemetery. This ground connects the field where the dead rest with the memorial image. The openings face the avenue, as if the gaze of those arriving is captured and framed, guiding them toward what remains unseen: death and time. This sculpture aims to be a gateway to human imagination, keeping the memory of the dead alive—a domain of eternal remembrance.