zweintopf's Inflatable Goddess of Democracy Requires Pumping to Stay Upright in Ghent
Floating beside Gravensteen castle in Ghent, Belgium, is a seven-meter-high inflatable artwork by the Austrian artists zweintopf, named Perseverance (Goddess of Democracy). This piece offers a new interpretation of the original 10-meter Goddess of Democracy statue from Tiananmen Square, which was destroyed in 1989. Unlike its predecessor, zweintopf's creation needs constant air pumping to stay upright, encouraging visitors to engage in 'Train your perseverance!' If the pumping ceases, the sculpture collapses. Constructed from textile, plastic, wood, and metal, it stands in stark contrast to the castle's architecture. Initially unveiled in 2019, it has been showcased in multiple exhibitions and will be in Ghent until October 14, 2026, before transitioning to Design Museum Gent for Public Matter(s): Democracy Workout.
Key facts
- zweintopf's Perseverance (Goddess of Democracy) is a seven-meter-high inflatable sculpture currently on the moat beside Gravensteen in Ghent, Belgium.
- The work reinterprets the original 10-meter Goddess of Democracy statue erected by Chinese art students on Tiananmen Square in May 1989 and destroyed during the military suppression of pro-democracy protests.
- The sculpture stays upright only through continuous pumping; visitors are invited to keep it inflated with the exercise 'Train your perseverance!'
- It is made from textile and plastic with wood and metal components, connected to a pumping installation.
- First presented in 2019, the work has appeared at UNIKUM's Europapark in Klagenfurt, steirischer herbst's Sculptures in Exile, the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn, Kunstverein Graz, and other exhibitions.
- Design Museum Gent commissioned a replica for the current Ghent presentation.
- The sculpture remains beside Gravensteen through October 14th, 2026, then moves to Design Museum Gent's inner courtyard from October 15th.
- The installation is part of Public Matter(s): Democracy Workout, a program promoting skills such as listening, finding one's voice, negotiating compromises, and dealing constructively with conflict.
Entities
Artists
- zweintopf
Institutions
- Design Museum Gent
- UNIKUM
- steirischer herbst
- Bundeskunsthalle
- Kunstverein Graz
- designboom
Locations
- Ghent
- Belgium
- Gravensteen
- Tiananmen Square
- Beijing
- China
- Klagenfurt
- Austria
- Bonn
- Germany
- Graz