To illustrate, Kathrin Schlegel's philosopher's stone at Erasmus MC park
Park of wonder in the city of Arts and Knowledge
The Leiden Bio Science Park (LBSP) is the largest knowledge center in the Netherlands in terms of life sciences and health. Within Leiden, the city of art and knowledge, this area plays a major role. In the coming years the LBSP will further develop into an Innovation District: an area with high densities where a mix of working, living and hospitality will provide a fertile climate for entrepreneurship and innovation. The LBSP art committee is investigating the possibility of including art in the permanent infrastructure, in line with the high cultural density of Leiden as a city.
Leiden2022
In 2022, Leiden will serve as the European City of Science for a year. For the entire year, Leiden will be dedicated to knowledge, science, art and craftsmanship, and the eyes of Europe will be on our city. In the DNA of the ‘City of Discoveries’, knowledge and culture are inextricably intertwined: in this year of knowledge and science, the LBSP could be the ultimate platform for the realization of a work of art inspired by art and science. This work of art could put the LBSP on the international map during the EuroScience Open Forum, the largest science congress in Europe, which will take place in Leiden in July 2022. Here we could take the first step towards a route of art that connects the different areas and also the visitors of the park.
Art connects and brings life
The LBSP is characterized by science, entrepreneurship and innovation but to actually create a vibrant area, cohesion is needed: opportunity to relax and meet. Art can bring about this cohesion. Art creates places where students, workers, local residents, travelers and visitors can breathe and meet, enjoy greenery and be unexpectedly surprised or moved by a special work of art. In short, art can give the park a great deal of added value. In view of Leiden2022, this is the right time to bring art to the LBSP.
Art Committee
To facilitate the arrival of art to the area, the LBSP Art Commission was formed, consisting of park entrepreneurs, urban planners, representatives of the municipality and art experts. The Art Commission will soon present its plans to the entrepreneurs’ association. The Lucas van Leyden Fund, established by the municipality as an independent fund to stimulate art in the public space, is enthusiastic about this initiative and as a partner will be happy to think along about the possibilities for realizing the ambitions.