Caleb Witvoet: Up Worlds Down Words

During Caleb Witvoet’s residency at Hotel Maria Kapel (HMK), he installs a large wooden ramp (called a halfpipe in terms of skateboarding) that borrows its curve from the chapel's arched ceiling. This sculptural halfpipe will be open to skate in during two “Sunday Skate Services”. Crafted from sustainable maple veneer—the same material used in the making of skateboards— the halfpipe transforms the once sacred space into an interactive site of movement, connection, and experimentation. The idea is to flip hierarchies evident in the height of religious buildings by appropriating those architectures to create a grounded space for embodied practice rather than for exalted spiritual (ideological) expression. Effectively, the chapel hall begins to inhabit the space of the mandorla, an almond-shaped aureola, which often appears around the figure of Christ or Mary in traditional Christian iconography, signifying spirit manifest. 

Challenging traditional hierarchies

With this installation, Caleb seeks to challenge the traditional hierarchies embedded in religious architecture. He creates a space where visitors of all ages, from first-time skaters to seasoned practitioners, are invited to engage with the chapel in new and unexpected ways. In addition to the halfpipe, Caleb presses skateboards, including experimental designs, and collaborates with his partner, Sophia Lengle. Strips of green fabric woven by Sophia Lengle will frame two of the windows, filtering the natural light to project a green glow into the Chapel. At the top of the window, the fabric will separate, falling down to mirror the top of the window, repeating the shape of the aureola.

Caleb’s work highlights skateboarding as a unifying social and cultural practice. By reshaping the chapel into a place where art, motion, and community converge, he invites reflection on how architecture and everyday practices can challenge and enrich one another. A soundscape by musician, artist and researcher Siem de Boer will bring embodied practice into the space, as he will record the sounds during the building process of the halfpipe.