Speculative and or historical

The site and spaces of the Observatorium are not just structures that contain(ed) instruments and practices of measurements. They are also loaded with symbolic meaning. Through their visibility and positioning they are public signs of knowledge and power. The architecture, lay out and decorations coney meanings that surpass the functional and embed the building and the work taking place in art-historic vocabularies / iconographies.

Some elements, such as the architectural elements can be compared to archetypes, but others are more open for interpretation. In order to be able to read these signs and the histories, presents and futures they connect to, it is important to open new registers of meaning. Therefore this section extends beyond the factual and invites you to add observations and interpretations from unexpected perspectives. These could be for example: non-western visual traditions, animal or plant co-existances, multi-sensorial signs and symbols: smells, sounds, tastes, feelings. It can be that certain interpretations or meanings are wished for, and that carriers / place holders for meaning might not-yet be present at the site. Additions to this section can address speculative objects and signs that are wished for.