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Custom Jail | Bootscraper art

Set in semi-circular niches beside the front doors of most homes, these ground-level holes are often overlooked but also fascinate many people. They're actually  boot scrapers, used by visitors to clean the mud off their shoes before entering the house. They’ve been around since the 18th century and are almost like a predecessor to the modern door-mat. Like any functional piece of architecture, many of these iron pieces are highly decorative, complementing the overall design of the building they are attached to.

To give these historical memorabilia a new meaning: a community project transforms them in tiny artworks inspired by stories of the people who live there. To avoid spoilers and enhance the fun we don't share the exact location so you need to look for them. Happy hunting


Jane and Els live in a former customs house / toll house. On the outside it is still the original walls, but on the inside it has become a very modern home. They wanted to tell the history of the building in their foot scraper. Similarly, a prison is depicted in the scraper as there was originally a cell in the building.
Created on October 10, 2020Removed
Arsenaalstraat 1, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
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Hunted by Tim Marschang.

Marker details

Date created2020-10-10T22:00:00.000Z
Marker typeartwork
CityAntwerp
CountryBelgium
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