De Bekoring de Wijsheid en het Gevaar

In the heart of Eindhoven's nightlife district stands De Bekoring de Wijsheid en het Gevaar, a sculpture by Henck van Dijck. It has been in the city centre since 1995. Its main structure is an obelisk-like tower of oxidised copper, rising in a stepped form from an equilateral base. At the very top sits a transparent prism.

The work took more than ten years to go from first design to public space, and Jos Boerekamps in Nederweert cast it. Acrylic, concrete, bronze and paint all figure in it. The prism carries a built-in lamp wired to the street lighting. By day it reflects sunlight in every colour, and at night it glows from within. Its changing light stands for the many facets of life: romance, friendship, success, love, sadness and setbacks. The steps map the phases of life: the path starts broad and easy, where choices are still simple. Higher up it narrows and steepens, and wisdom is needed to reach your goals.

The commission asked for a symbolic meeting place, and the concrete base provides a seat. You can pause there in the middle of a busy night out. Van Dijck wanted a process of changing perception: the longer you look, the more you notice. A van Dijck from 1989 stands in the Stadswandelpark, weighing nature against culture. The crowds passing the tower day and night live out the experiences it symbolises.