TOTEM Spirit in Leuven

The jewel beetle on a 23 m high steel needle, designed by the Belgian artist Jan Fabre, is a gift from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) to the city on the occasion of its 575-year existence. This modern art installation is named as the “Totem”. It represent science and technology. 

The insect itself was made in a studio in Rotterdam and took 2.5 years. The paint has been developed to obtain the same color shades as a real scarab. When you walk around it, the color changes. It is made of polyester.

( Source: https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/gbv9qdbg; Access date: November 2020), Photo by Aslı Tezcan