Bram De Jonghe
Mussel Works

More than 100 mussel shells have been incorporated into the stairs and walls in and around the Atrium of The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The mussels don’t stand out at first, but as soon as you see one, you see them all.

With a poetic and slightly absurdist approach, artist Bram De Jonghe wants the viewer to casually discover the work. He believes this creates an intimate encounter. De Jonghe also sees the work as a small space or mold for your thoughts. And as a gesture to keep the memory of the sea alive.
Because the mussels, like fire extinguishers, naturally become part of the building, they become part of the students’ study environment. Visitors to the building often wonder if they have always been there.

“The two works have something in common; a symbolic function to avert evil.”
– Bram De Jonghe, about Mussel Works and Sealed Rain, 2022

Made possible by the Mondriaan Fund.