Untitled

About this artwork.

During the construction of houses on the former Kwint estate, a wall was planned which separates the residential area from the Verlengde Lodewijkstraat and the railway alongside it. The Municipality of Groningen and the housing association Patrimonium found a 35-metre-long blank wall to be an unattractive prospect. That is why they took the initiative to turn the wall into a piece of art. They were considering ceramics and asked artist Hans van Bentem, who works often with these traditional materials, to create a design. He came up with a surprising sketch.
 
Instead of beautiful shapes, Van Bentem took a more serious approach. His artwork is inspired by its location along the railway. The red brick wall has a pattern of ochre and black bricks based on systems and connections such as those seen in railway yards. In ten places along the wall, there are light points which seem to be modelled on castle ramparts, suggesting stops. The artwork has a special appearance due to the glowing blue, yellow, green and red, especially at night.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Hans van Bentem

• District
  Oosterpoort & Europapark

• Year of creation
  1995

• Art type
  Art in / on a building, Light artwork

• Material
  Brick, Steel, Artificial light

• Dimensions
  b 35,00 m