Pop-up work of art Take Away Monument

Take Away Monument (Studio Schscht) is an inflatable and hyper-realistic monument in the form of a classical column 10 metres high, topped by a fragile soap bubble. It is a bold reinterpretation of what a monument can be today: both monumental and ephemeral. The work is mobile, quick to erect and dismantle, and thus serves as a metaphor for the certainties and ideals that are disappearing like snow in the sun today – such as democracy, climate awareness and human rights, which now seem to be under threat. On two sides of the monument, visitors can add their own message or reflection via plaques. Permanent plaques are affixed to the other sides. Unlike traditional monuments that tell a single, unambiguous story, Take Away Monument invites a diversity of voices and reflection: what do we wish to remember or forget from the past and the present, and what do we hope for the future?

This work will be on display on 31 October and 1 November in Begijnhofpark as part of the opening weekend of the autumn exhibition *After Nature. Beauty and Decay, from Savery to Today* (30 October 2026 – 11 April 2027) at Abby.