Rooster (Haan)

About this artwork.

Klaas van Dijk's red copper rooster looks perky in all its splendor and idiosyncrasy. Although the work from 1979 does not officially have a title, it was soon popularly referred to as 'Rooster'. The Rooster has stood in various places in the city and has an eventful history of destruction.

The municipality of Groningen was presented with the statue in 1979 from the Westland Utrecht Hypotheekbank on the occasion of the opening of the office in Paddepoel. The Rooster was given a place on a pillar in front of the neighborhood center Trefkoel on Zonnelaan (now Upsilon youth flat) in the district. There it was badly damaged in 1980 and for that reason removed. Klaas van Dijk was approached for restoration, but the artist was no longer allowed to work with copper due to health reasons. The restoration of the statue thus came to an impasse, until the artist Bart van de Valk offered himself as restorer and he restored the Rooster to good condition in collaboration with Van Dijk.

From 1987, the Rooster stood on the Praediniussingel. Unfortunately, Klaas van Dijk's statue there was more than once the target of vandalism, which meant that it had to be restored time and again. The last restoration was completed in 2019 by artist and copper specialist Hugo Hol. Kunstpunt and Stadsbeheer were looking for a new place for the Rooster.

The artwork was relocated in August 2021. In consultation with the artist's son and daughter and with the Singeldorpers – as the residents of the canal call themselves – the Rooster was given a new place on the Ubbo Emmiussingel. The artwork now stands in the lawn between the Groninger Museum and the Minervaflat.

Klaas van Dijk (1913-1990) was mainly known for his manually struck copper and aluminum wall objects and sculptures. He also painted, watercoloured, drew and lithographed landscapes. Van Dijk received his training from the well-known Groningen sculptor Willem Valk. In the 1920s and 1930s he was a member of the Groningen artists' association De Ploeg. Although the Netherlands was his home base, he also worked in France and the United States. In 1977 he received the cultural Egbertsprijs in Groningen, among other things for his services to De Ploeg. Van Dijk worked tirelessly to ensure that young artists would join this association.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Klaas van Dijk

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  1979

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Red copper

• Dimensions
  h 1,75 x b 0,65 x d 0,95 m