Untitled (1957) - Rotterdam - The Netherlands - Silhouette Public Art Sculptures on Waymarking.com

The history of the sculpture by the Russian-born American sculptor Naum Gabo is inextricably linked to the construction of the Bijenkorf. During the construction of this department store by architect Marcel Breuer in the 1950s, to replace the old Bijenkorf, which was badly damaged in the German bombing of 1940, a difference of opinion arose between the management of the Bijenkorf and the urban planners of the municipality. The municipality wanted the company to adhere to the prescribed building line. De Bijenkorf wanted more space for the facade on the Coolsingel. Finally, de Bijenkorf won the prize by offering the municipality - to the satisfaction of all involved - the statue of Naum Gabo. Gabo made a design, which she says was inspired by the organic structure of the plant world. He understood the image as a tree with a trunk, roots and branches. The design - an elegant tower consisting of four double ribs, which rotate 90 degrees across the image height and merge at the top - is made of steel and a zinc and brass coating on a concrete plinth, which is covered with black marble. On May 21, 1957 (Construction Day), the statue was unveiled by the mayor of Walsum. Gabo proclaimed that the image expressed the spirit and energy of the Dutch. The statue is seen as the pinnacle of constructivist sculptures. Gabo had modeled the intricate construction without any calculations; engineers from the TNO in Delft had to be involved to test the 26-meter high and 40-tonne model for safety in a wind tunnel. The sculpture itself - called “an ideological contribution to constructivism” by Gabo - was created in the Hollandia construction workshops and machine factory in Krimpen aan den IJssel. The statue of Gabo is now part of the city, but in the 1950s it was an act of courage by the management of the Bijenkorf - who had previously enriched the city with a statue of Zadkine - to create an abstract sculpture of this size. to give it a prominent place in the new Rotterdam. The director of urban development ir. C. van Traa, the most important designer of post-war Rotterdam, also initially had difficulty with this abstract sculpture, but later generously admitted that Gabo's sculpture “had achieved a great urban development asset”. Gabo's sculpture was thoroughly restored by MeestersIn in 2017 and completed in 2018. For more information: Sculpture International Rotterdam.

Title of Piece: Untitled Artist: Naum Gabo Material/Media: Steel, zinc and brass coating, and black marble (on concrete) Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link] Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): Not listed

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