The Celestial Vault
Het Hemels Gewelf

Flat Earthers, prepare to be amazed: This optical illusion is a hidden gem that lets you see the sky with a curved view!

• Artist James Turrell decided it was time to throw away the rose-coloured glasses! In 1996 he decided to create a way to view the world in a whole new way. The creation? An optical illusion art installation, inspired by a Belgian astronomer who commented on how light affects our perception.
• At first glance, you may be surprised to find a large crater next to the shores of The Hague’s beaches. It looks as if an asteroid hit! An odd sight at first, wait until you see what’s on the inside! a tunnel through the wall of the man-made crater leads to a patch of greenery, with a strange stone bench in the center.
• The idea behind the optical illusion is to lay under the stone bench and to look up and out towards the sky. The round edges of the stone make the sky appear to be a curved dome! But don’t take our word for it, go and check it out for yourself and see if you can expand your mind and perspective.