Traffic (Het Verkeer)

About this artwork.

The sculptor designed Traffic in 1958, for what was still a new bridge at the time. In doing so, he reacted to the constant flow of traffic that entered the city and had to slow down in front of the bridge. He depicted the dynamics of the oncoming traffic in the upward pendulum movement of the S-shape, which runs like a spine through the work. Cogs, wheels and tyres are attached to this central axle in a chaotic accumulation; as signs of modern technology.

Reijers worked a lot on commission. He attached importance to the environment in which his designs ended up and wanted to incorporate them symbolically. This consideration was more important to him than stylistic recognition, which meant that he designed very different sculptures throughout his career. Reijers died before he was able to cast the bronze work. His colleague Wessel Couzijn therefore supervised the completion and placement in 1959.

In the mid-sixties, the Emma Viaduct was constructed and the altered traffic situation resulted in more traffic lights, lampposts and other traffic signs. As a result, according to some, Reijers' artwork was no longer easy to see. At the insistence of Groningen artists, it was then moved to a tiled square on the Emmasingel. Here the statue stood too low and somewhat lost on a plinth. With the arrival of the KPN building, it was necessary to look for a location once again – Traffic has been on the Emmabrug bridge ever since.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Willem Reijers

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  1959

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Bronze

• Dimensions
  h 3,20 x b 3,50 x d 1,50 m; sokkel h 0,96 x b 3,25 x d 0,70 m