Colorful fantasy landscapes in overflowing colours. This is what the artwork that will be placed on the inside of the Papiermolen tunnel will look like. The design is by the internationally active artist Hadassah Emmerich. The art will be installed in the tunnel in the coming months. The new tunnel is expected to open in the summer of 2023.
Aanpak Ring Zuid is currently building a new tunnel on the site of the old Papiermolentunnel. This tunnel for cyclists and pedestrians connects the Rivierenbuurt (Merwedestraat) with the outdoor swimming pool De Papiermolen and the south side of the city. The new tunnel will soon not only pass under the southern highway, but also under the new connecting road between Hereweg and Brailleweg. This makes the tunnel a lot longer.
Landscapes
To give the new Papiermolentunnel a special appearance for pedestrians and cyclists, various artists have been asked to make a design for art on the inside. Under the guidance of Kunstpunt, a special art committee was set up in which residents also contributed ideas. The design by Hadassah Emmerich was chosen. She designed a series of colorful landscapes for the Papiermolen tunnel, six on both walls. The landscape scenes are about 11 meters wide and are separated by colored strips. This breaks through the elongated character of the walls. “Visitors travel, as it were, through different perspectives and worlds, and anchor points are created along the way,” explains Hadassah. The colors of the walls are continued on the ceiling.
For everyone
"It is important to me that the design for the tunnel can appeal to people of all ages and different layers of the population," she says in an explanation of her design. Because the tunnel is a connection for school children, older students, visitors to the swimming pool and local residents, she has opted for a design with different elements. For example, the element of water recurs in the various landscapes, usually in the form of a lake or a sea. With the vistas, Hadassah wants to express that you can dream about the wide world and what can be discovered in it. The landscape also represents the abundance of greenery that is brought back to the environment. At the same time, her landscapes have an urban appearance or 'urban feel'. This is due to the pronounced use of color, the collage elements and the use of templates. "The design keeps the passerby alert through the colors and certain motifs that come to the fore, such as bushes, flowers and certain structures in the landscape."
The artwork was realized in collaboration with Combinatie Herepoort, Aanpak Ring Zuid and the municipality of Groningen. Kunstpunt supervised the art assignment.