KOMPAS/ Quercus Palustris

A circular brick wall with four small openings stands around a large, rotating pin oak. The low gates are oriented towards the four cardinal directions, and each entrance has its own north, east, south or west monogram. Bronze tree branches also indicate the cardinal points. Only children, those who are free from sin, can enter the area. There they find levers around the base of the oak, which they can use to manually set the tree in motion. DeSmet describes it as: ‘Paradise as a compass on the loose.’ Anyone who is standing outside at a distance will only see a slowly rotating tree. The source of the movement can’t be seen by adults because of the high wall. The cyclical rotation creates a poetic dimension. The impossible becomes possible, but only when children, our future, are at the helm. Without them there is no movement. It is the next generation that has to keep the world going and do everything in its power to give our planet — hopefully — an aura of paradise. They will have to steer in the right (wind) direction. On the route of Paradise Kortrijk 2021, DeSmet has placed bronze medallions in the shape of pin oak leaves in the pavement on the route of Paradise Kortrijk 2021. Children can follow these like scallop shells on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.