How can Maaseik be reconnected to the river that shaped it? This question brought artist Adrien Tirtiaux (°1980, BE) back to the banks of the Meuse time and again. Three striking church towers caught his eye: landmarks in the landscape, symbols of the city’s rich past. In his new artwork Echoes of a Landscape, Tirtiaux turns them both literally and figuratively upside down.

From earth to sky

Tirtiaux pays special attention to building materials, their origins and the narratives they embody. The landscape around Maaseik — shaped by centuries of gravel and clay extraction — served as a key source of inspiration. These raw materials echo the Meuse Valley and tell the story of the region, grounding the artwork firmly in its surroundings.
The spire of Aldeneik appears upside down, a playful reference to the gravel extraction that formed the Heerenlaakplas. Cast in concrete enriched with local gravel, the six-metre tower features an opening that invites visitors to look upward and see the landscape differently. The ten-metre tower of Maaseik lies horizontally, serving as a viewing platform built from locally sourced river clay. The bricks were fired in one of the last working Hoffmann kilns — a 19th-century circular kiln still operated today by Wienerberger. Maaseik’s strong brickmaking tradition continues to this day. The steel structure refers to the church of Roosteren and acts as a giant megaphone aimed at the Netherlands. Manufactured in Liège, it connects to the steel industry along the Meuse and the river’s long history as a trade route. The tower symbolically bridges the two countries. Where residents once shouted across the river, the megaphone now facilitates a renewed dialogue.
Concrete, brick and steel come together to highlight the landscape, the industrial past and the symbolism of the towers.

A new voice for historical landmarks

Trained as both an architect and a sculptor, Tirtiaux brings the strengths of both disciplines into the public realm. While exploring Maaseik, he was struck by the distance between the historic centre and the river — a separation reinforced by the construction of the Rijksweg. He also noticed how little high-rise there is to block the view, allowing three church towers to stand out clearly: the Church of Saint Anne in Aldeneik, the Church of Saint Catherine in Maaseik, and the Church of Saint James the Greater in Roosteren (NL).
Fascinated by the silhouettes of the churches of Maaseik and Aldeneik, Tirtiaux observed how the length and sharpness of their spires define their character. Their shape sparked the idea of transforming them into something new — for example, a megaphone. This architectural sensitivity and imagination lie at the heart of his work: historical landmarks gaining a new voice in the landscape.

PRAKTICAL

Accessibility and Parking
Klauwenhofweg, Maaseik (between the Meuse and the Heerenlaakplas). Parking in the blue zone: Bleumerpoort Maaseik (near the oval roundabout) or along Bleumerpoortweg (by the river). Maximum parking time: 2 hours with a parking disc. From there, it is a 750-metre or 550-metre walk respectively. Follow the “Kunst aan de Maas” signage.

Walking and Cycling Network
The artwork is only a stone’s throw from the yellow (10 km) and red (14 km) walking loops of the Aldeneik hiking area. You can find the routes on Wandelen in Limburg. Cyclists can navigate to cycle node 24 and continue from there to the Klauwenhofweg.

For Families with Children
Around the artwork, you’ll find several large Meuse boulders with playful challenges for children.

Acknowledgements

This artwork was created in collaboration with a local working group of residents (Noortje De La Haye, Marcel Leduc, Laurens Leurs, Willy Miermans, Wim Segers, Jorien Uytdenhouwen and Pierrot Van Haelst †), the City of Maaseik, De Vlaamse Waterweg, Openair, Wienerberger, Ebema, Melens & Dejardin, Steengoed, Dragetra nv, Ir. Robrecht Keersmaekers, Magma Architects, and the project teams of Z33 and RLKM.