1/2 Artist Luciën built an enormous sun temple
It started with a stick and a rope. Exactly fifty years ago, Luciën van der Eerden drew a circle line in the woods near Lierop. The sculptor had a plan for a sun temple. A large structure has now been built, five levels high.
Luciën sees the sun temple as his life’s work. “I also see it as a statue. I don’t know any other sculptor who has taken fifty years to create a statue.” The sun temple is almost ready. Luciën is still working on a number of smaller statues to surround it. Then perhaps we should put an end to it. But the almost eighty-year-old Lucien will never stop working completely. “I don’t think I’ll stop until I really can’t do it anymore.”
In a response, the municipality stated that the temple and sculpture garden are not permitted and are not in accordance with the environmental plan. But the municipality does support the sculpture. “We have therefore tried in the past to legalize the sculpture garden. However, the province of North Brabant has submitted a reactive instruction against this because the activities of Lux et Terra take place within the Brabant Nature Network,” the municipality writes.
“I picked up 80 kilos at the time, but that is no longer possible.”
It is hoped that it will turn out well, because the work on the temple was done entirely by hand. “I had to do a lot of lugging. Everything was made to measure by hand. Everything was lifted into place with homemade hoists. At the time I just picked up 80 kilos, but that is no longer possible.”
There are 3.5 million kilos of stone in the enormous structure, according to Luciën. He got his stones from everywhere except the quarry. “I like stones that have character.” And so it contains stones from the old Maas Bridge near Venlo. Or from a quay wall from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
Luciën had no philosophical or religious thoughts when building the sun temple. The sun god Ra is not worshiped in Lierop. But the sculptor is interested in ancient cultures and mythical monumental constructions. “I was very much in the commercial mill,” he says. “I sold my work very well. But I had to move from location to location a lot to make exhibitions.”
Luciën wanted something permanent. Over the years he bought five hectares of land at his farm in Lierop. “My name was the inspiration for the Sun Temple.” The name of Luciën’s estate is now Lux et Terra. Sky and earth.
“It took me eight years before I knew the sunlight was right.”
But of course sunlight plays a major role in the temple. The adytum forms the central part. It is a sacred space where ceremonies took place in ancient civilizations. On December 21, Luciën himself will hold a celebration in the adytum.
He cut down an old Celtic sun sign, where the sunlight falls exactly, provided there is sun of course. “It took me eight years before I was sure the sunlight was right.” Now the winter solstice is celebrated every year and Luciën invites exactly fifty people who fit into the round spot.
Lux en Terra will open its doors on October 11 and 12 where visitors can marvel at the sun temple of Luciën. The sculpture garden and the work of 15 sculptors can also be visited.
Hassle about the permit
The municipality is concerned about the sun temple and the sculpture garden. She is positive about it, but there is no permit for it. The municipality has tried to legalize the sculpture garden, but until now the province has taken precedence.