Traces of Histories
December 2022
Artistic intervention in the public sphere, City Hall, Tongeren (B)
Following the recent restoration and beautification works at City Hall, a subtle but enriching artistic intervention was made by Wesley Meuris. The work is entitled TRACES of HISTORIES. Traces of Histories appeals to the imagined ‘history’, be it by referring to its physical absence, narrative void or uprooted historical narrative. The design does not seek to be a replacement or contemporary replica of the original, nor does it intend to constitute an abstraction or conceptualisation of what the coat of arms stands for. Rather, this work encourages reflection on heritage and its presence or absence in public space.