The Figure Tower – Elisabet Stienstra (2019)
Realised art in public spaces
Commissioned by the CBK Groningen, Elisabet Stienstra has created a work of art for the new district of De Velden. The work of art is called De Figuurtoren (The Figure Tower) and is an eight-metre-high sculpture next to the new pond on the Piet Fransenlaan in the Oosterparkwijk. The work itself is made up of a collection of human figures which decrease in size as they reach the top of the sculpture. Stienstra has also created a seating area at the base of the sculpture using two semi-circles and blocks. The CBK supervised this particular commission. To this end, an art committee has been formed including local residents who have been involved in the process.
FC Groningen
In her work of art, Stienstra has incorporated the history of this part of the district. It is for good reason that it consists of 11 human figures stacked on top of each other: it is a reference to the architecture and urban planning of J.P. Berlage, the urban planner who is responsible for designing the structure of the Oosterparkwijk. The number 11 was a favourite starting point for much of Berlage’s work. Like the ball in this work of art, the number 11 is also symbolic of football history and links to the former FC Groningen stadium that once stood on the De Velden site.
The material is a nod to the area. Stienstra made the work from light-grey granite, which was a favourite with sculptors when the Oosterparkwijk was conceptualised. In addition, the stones used to build the circles underneath the sculpture are a reference to the Amsterdam School, a building style that was often used in neighbourhoods such as the Oosterparkwijk in the first decades of the 20th century.
Minerva Academy
Elisabet Stienstra (Gasselternijveen, 1967) returns to Groningen, the city where she studied at the Minerva Academy between 1984 and 1988, with this work of art after 30 years. After graduation, she left for Amsterdam to study at the National Academy (Rijksacademie). Since then, she has created many sculptures, both autonomously and under commission. Her work can be found in the collections of the Stedelijk Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in Arnhem, Centro Arte Contemp Luigi Pecci Prato in Italy and in various private collections. Her piece for De Velden is her first sculpture in Groningen.