Mating Dragonflies land on the roof of Lumière Maastricht
After standing for 24 years in the Geusselt pond, the Dragonfly Mating Wheel by artist Désirée Tonnaer has found a new home this week on the roof of our office at Lumière.
“The old location was a bit more romantic,” the artist tells De Limburger. “But here it has more edge. This is perfect.”
Due to the lowered water level after the construction of the Koning Willem-Alexander Tunnel, the artwork became vulnerable to vandalism; in 2021, seven legs were even sawn off, presumably by bronze thieves. In vain, as the sculpture turns out to be made mostly of steel with only a thin bronze coating.
From the roof of Lumière, the dragonflies now look out over the Bassin. The Dragonfly Mating Wheel just peeks over the edge. “It makes it look as if they could fly away at any moment. It creates an illusion, just as film can.”