Perge

The sculpture represents arrival, direction, and the beginning of a journey.

After 28 years, this artwork shines brighter than ever—now in renewed colors—on the newly redesigned square with plants and trees at the Alfa College in Hoogeveen.

The direction indicated by the hand, with its clearly raised thumb and extended index finger, symbolizes knowledge. The gesture appears in an old Celtic story about the student Lugh. His master instructs him to catch and cook the salmon, a transformed wizard. While roasting the salmon, hot oil splashes onto Lugh’s thumb. He instinctively puts his thumb in his mouth, and from that moment on he becomes all‑knowing. On Celtic coins, Lugh is depicted with his arm stretched far forward, riding a horse, with his thumb raised and index finger extended.

Knowledge

The signpost is inspired by an illustration based on a drawing by Holbein the Younger, showing the way to a pilgrim. The pilgrim is travelling eastward, toward the land of the rising sun.

The candle, an ancient symbol, represents not only light in the darkness but also the idea of transience. It expresses the limited time that students will spend in this place. Eventually, they move on with the knowledge they have gained—just as the bird on the roof might take flight.

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Material and dimensions

The materials are corten steel, paint, and neon.
The dimensions are 850 × 314 × 229 cm.

Unveilling

In 1997

Prince (now King) Willem-Alexander congratulates the Alfa College and the artist André Boone.