Veselia Hospitalis Archive

Veselia hospitalis / Hospitable Wesel is constructed out of oak beams and is reminiscent of either a house with a pointed roof or an inverted ship’s hull. In fact, both associations are correct.

Artist Victoria Bell created this work on the occasion of a symposium entitled Unter der Erde, which was organized by the Niederrheinischer Kunstverein for the 750th anniversary of the city of Wesel. The task was to make critical parts of the city’s history visible again through contemporary art, particularly those that could only be witnessed from an archeological standpoint because of the destruction caused by World War II. Victoria Bell’s sculpture stands within sight of the Willibrordi Cathedral, making reference to the wooden Ottonian church that preceded it.

In this location, an intersection of various streets, the work also recalls the city of Wesel’s role as a Hanseatic trading hub and as a hospitable place for many travelers of that time. The artist erected a house with interlocking wooden beams and an ark, a symbol of protection and refuge.

Reference: www.niederrheinischer-kunstverein.de/ausstellungen/projekte-unter-der-erde.html