Uber Capitalism in Bruges
Say "Belgium" and you think "chocolate" and it's true this is what many of the people visiting Bruges end up buying during their trip. But what would happen if the 5 million visitors that head for the West Flemish capital each and every year were to stay? That is the question artists taking part in the Bruges Triennial had to answer, each in their own way.
The answer of Austrian artist Rainer Ganahl is a sculpture representing the first Bruges stock exchange building, Huis ter Beurze, which you can see just a little further along. This stock exchange is also the oldest such institution in the world. It was set up in Bruges by the Italians, who in medieval times played a crucial role in trade both North and South of the Alps.
Rainer Ganahl's stock exchange, however, is not built of bricks and mortar, but in his eyes of chocolate. To get his message across the sculpture is topped by a rotating sign bearing the words Uber Capitalism!
The Bruges Triennial includes 14 works of art in public places and runs until 18 October 2015.