The Walk of Wonder will take you across the grounds of the Radboudumc and the Radboud University along seven different works of art that will engage all your senses. There are works of art that sing, compose poetry and light up. There are works of art that you can stroke or that you can smell. Some are located high up in the air, hanging from a façade for example, or low to the ground along a fragrant forest path. The route is just over two kilometres; an ideal length for a healthy hike. Who knows, you might visit places you have never been before!
Donation impetus for art route
The artists are currently working on the first concepts for their works of art. The route will be opened around Easter 2023. This moment was not chosen at random. The festivities surrounding our 100th anniversary will start in the spring. In the run-up to this event, the university community has in many ways reflected on its own (Catholic) identity and the traditions that dovetail with it. For example, a project group (Radboudumc & Radboud University) reflected on how the Stations of the Cross, a traditional element of the preparation for Easter in the Catholic Church, could still play a meaningful role in our time. The impetus was a donation to the Catholic Documentation Centre (KDC) of a large collection of books and works of art relating to the Stations of the Cross. Former general practitioner, writer and artist Ignace Schretlen, the donor of this special collection, discovered that these artistic expressions served to inspire more and more people throughout the centuries. He proposed to continue this dynamic tradition on the Nijmegen campus. The project group then called in the help of the Arnhem-based art and design studio Fillip Studios, which developed the concept of the Walk of Wonder.
A voice in the development
The concept is based on themes derived from the Stations of the Cross that everyone encounters in life: enduring, helping, mirroring, receiving, recovering, carrying and hoping. These themes are linked to an art form, a sense, and a user group of the campus. The artists selected by Fillip Studios will talk to students, researchers, local residents, patients, care staff, support staff and volunteers. The various user groups on the campus will thus have a voice in the development of the artworks. The selected artists are Vondelier (music & poetry), Studio Toer (kinetic, light art), Ralph Zabel (illustration), Birthe Leemeijer (Land art), Sissel Marie Tonn (touch, sensory art), Amara van der Elst (spoken word) and Omer Polak (smell).
A connecting route
The Walk of Wonder is mapped out as a meandering route that connects the grounds of the Radboudumc and Radboud University. You will walk past various buildings and through the green areas in between. On the way, you will come across the seven works of art - sometimes grand and colourful, sometimes subtle or with an interactive element. Come, wonder, and be inspired by the Walk of Wonder!