Students returned from winter break this past week to a mysterious new art display hanging above the student help desk in the Young Student Center.

Many students have tried to interpret what it is that the art is supposed to represent. Kites and zebras are just a couple of ideas thrown out by students as to what this structure is supposed to be.

“It’s fascinating. I don’t really understand what it is, but it’s a cool concept I guess,” senior Chelsea Harris said.

“I mean, it’s decorative. It makes it feel less empty in the student center,” junior Mason Prata added.

According to Mark Gempler, associate director of the student center, the student center worked with a design consultant in 2013, who determined that the help desk didn’t have much focus in the building.

“She felt that it needed something to bring attention to it,” Gempler said.

The fabric sculptures were made and installed by a Maine-based company called Transformit, according to Gempler.

Gempler explained how the new design scheme is a two-phase project in the works for the student center.

“So phase one is fabric sculptures, which serves the purpose of an awning over the desk. Phase two will be to renovate the actual desk and bring more texture and excitement through finishes to the top of the desk and countertop,” said Gempler.

As for the strange designs on the fabric sculptures, Gempler said, “The black lines on the white fabric sculptures represent lines on a topo map. The topo maps used were from the Keene/Monadnock area.”

The new structure continues to spark interesting conversation around campus for the start of the spring semester.

Jake Coughlin can be contacted at jcoughlin@keene-equinox.com