Extra Muros | Kris Martin | For Whom II
The ‘Grote Triomfante’ bell, which was cast from the broken pieces of the earlier, historical bell ‘Klokke Roeland’ in 1660, will ring once, softly, for every inhabitant of Ghent. In this poetic way, Kris Martin (1972, Kortrijk, will offer every inhabitant a personalised work of art. Each inhabitant can choose whether their name appears at the same time as the bell strikes. Those who prefer to remain unnamed will hear an anonymous chime. It will take about three months for the bell to chime once for all 257,983 inhabitants, and after that the artwork will fall silent. Lastly, those Ghent people who are mentioned may pick up a signed edition of their personalised chime at the museum if they so wish.
In this project, Kris Martin is making a gesture of solidarity between all the cultures, ages and social levels in Ghent. He makes us reflect on what it currently means to live together in a city.