Wim Delvoye proposes to rebuild Notre-Dame's spire

Belgian artist Wim Delvoye has declared his intention to compete in the international design competition for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral's spire, which collapsed in the April 15, 2019 fire. Delvoye, known for his Gothic-inspired works, told Belgian newspaper HLN that he has worked with Gothic art for over twenty years and has built full-scale Gothic towers for the Musée Rodin and the Louvre. His proposal may draw from his 40-meter installation Suppo, placed next to the Louvre, which featured a twisted spire motif inspired by French cathedrals. The French prime minister launched the competition immediately after the fire, with donations totaling 600 million euros announced the following day from collectors including François Pinault and Bernard Arnault. Delvoye's practice often merges attraction and repulsion, as seen in his Cloaca installation (2000) that produces feces. He has exhibited at Castello di Rivoli (1991), Centre Pompidou (2000), and Peggy Guggenheim Collection (2009), and participated in the Venice Biennale (1990, 1999, 2009) and Documenta IX (1992).