ERF – Robbert van der Horst
From October 23, a work of art by Robbert van der Horst, titled ERF, will slowly emerge on the Nieuwe Markt in Groningen. ERF is an installation of scaffolding tubes and wood featuring the imprint of an 18th-century tea house, an illuminated footpath, and an apple tree. It is commissioned by Kunstpunt for the Let’s Gro festival.
Since 1995, Robbert van der Horst has been creating artworks and architectural installations. Through his ephemeral constructions, he questions our relationship with the landscape, exploring how we connect with the ground and the vulnerability and transience of that relationship.
Perspective
Van der Horst views his constructions as stagings: by following a route, lifting off the ground, and providing a new perspective, space for new experiences is created. Historical, geographical, and social contexts are significant layers in his installations. For ERF, he draws inspiration from the history of the location. Van der Horst says, “There are few places in Groningen where so much digging, demolishing, and building has taken place, leaving traces. I play with the different layers and meanings of the location, making ERF both an archaeological site and a construction and meeting place.”
Scaffolding and Apple Tree
Van der Horst often chooses scaffolding for his work, not just for its graphic and sketch-like qualities but because scaffolds are powerfully connected to the process of building itself. A scaffold is not a building; it encloses it, making the construction possible. Scaffolding is temporary, and the tubes will reappear in a new context later. Scaffolds represent the dynamics of construction itself and everything that has been constructed and deconstructed over the centuries. ERF, too, is a witness to a temporary process, a three-dimensional sketch adapting during construction and never quite finished. Amidst the installation stands an apple tree, a beacon of tranquility, like the eye of a storm.
Turbulent Ground
ERF explores the relationship of a human-formed landscape with the vast movement of time and how we occupy open space. Van der Horst states, “Somewhere there was a beginning, a moment when this place was first touched by humans. With ERF, I’m pulling a surface of 10 x 10 meters from the earth, examining the layers of time specific to this place and our role as humans. It’s a call for humility. The installation becomes a meeting place, a place for reflection, where the vertical layers of time and the horizontal movement of materials come together.”
Visit and Encounter
About Robbert van der Horst
Robbert van der Horst is a visual artist, performer, and radio archaeologist. Coming from the countryside, he roots his artistic endeavors in the city. Van der Horst focuses on the construction as a participatory process, combining artistic freedom with a love for craftsmanship. Many of his works result from collaboration with special groups associated with a location or local volunteers drawn to the project’s nature. Users become creators and owners, emphasizing research, interaction, and exchange. Nearly all materials used by Van der Horst are reused. His work is exhibited nationally and internationally, and he gives lectures and workshops at various academies and universities. He is also involved as a radio archaeologist with Radiobaken, research, and storytelling radio on location.
ERF is a project by Robbert van der Horst for the Let’s Gro festival, commissioned by Kunstpunt Groningen. Partners: the Municipality of Groningen and The Forum.