Non scholae, sed vitae

About this artwork.

Marthe Röling designed a pennant for the square in front of the Harmoniecomplex, which houses the RuG's Faculty of Literature, a form that according to the artist “is coming into being, is in motion, is elevating itself”. The pennant carries the words non scholae, sed vitae. The saying originated with the Roman philosopher Seneca, who noted with regret: “Non vitae, sed scholae discimus”: “we learn not for life, but for school”. Röling turned it around: “not for school, but for life”. The latter saying can also be found above the doors of the aula of the Academy Building. 
 
The polyester sculpture is partly hand-painted and partly airbrushed in marble colour. The piece of art, already more than five metred high, was placed on a three-metre high concrete pedestal in order to emphasise the monumentality of Harmonieplein, the place where the university and the city meet.
In 2001 it turned out that the pennant, which had been made “maximally thin”, had been skewed due to the wind. The artist then strengthened the bottom of the pennant. 

Non Scholae, sed vitae is part of the sculpture project Kennisjaren 1994-2014 (Years of Knowledge 1994–2014) of the University of Groningen. It came about in the lustrum year 1999. The theme that the RuG presented that year was: “A representation of the student-teacher relationship”.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Marte Röling

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  1999

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Polyester, Airbrush

• Dimensions
  h 7,80 m; sokkel h 2, 80 m