ART ROUTE THROUGH THE CITY CENTER OF GRONINGEN.

The artwork by theatre designer Herbert Janse is dedicated to Ubbo Emmius, the first Rector Magnificus of the University of Groningen. It consists of a concrete “planter” in which a beech tree has been planted. The symbol of the university with all of its branches of science. The tree stands at the bottom of an archaeological pit, rooted in the past. The crown reaches up into the air; a reference to the future. On the concrete bench, made up of six elements, are six theorems by the historian and literary scholar Ubbo Emmius. The carved goose feathers in the seat of the bench reference his writing utensils. The ascending shape of the bench represents the direction a clock turns. 
 
Twenty deep blue stones have been laid in the ground in this direction, bearing the dates from 1994 to 2014. The information on the work of art is chiselled in the first stone, from 1994. Other works of art are mentioned in the other nineteen stones.
 
This artwork by Herbert Janse is in fact the first work created for the art project (Years of Knowledge 1994–2014) of the University of Groningen. This project was started in 1994 on the occasion of the 380th anniversary of the university and ended in 2014 on the occasion of its 400th anniversary.

On 27 June 1909, the Academy building was inaugurated again after the previous building burned down completely in 1906. The building was built in the style of the Northern Dutch Renaissance at the beginning of the seventeenth century. With this, the clients referred to the period in which the university was founded. The sculptor Petrus Ackermans designed five allegorical sculptures.
 
Minerva stands in full armour on top of the Academy building; helmet on the head and spear and coat of arms in hand. She is dressed in a classical robe that falls in folds around her body and accentuates the female forms. Scientia and Historia represent science and history respectively. Prudentia stands for wise policy and Mathematica for mathematics.

The sandstone sculptures, each around 175 centimetres in height, are placed in rather shallow niches crowned by a semi-circular shell shape. Despite the limited space, the artist has succeeded in making the sculptures appear very spatial. He achieved this by, among other things, cutting the folds in the robes deep. In addition, for each sculpture he has had certain parts protruding beyond the alcove. Thus the spear of Minerva is a striking element and the raised right arm of Scientia extends out far in front of the cavity.

 Aryaan Harshagen designed a hard stone floor decoration for the entrance to the Public Library. This work is a good contemporary example of visual art that enters into a relationship with architecture: it emphasises the elongated character of the courtyard that leads to the entrance of the library and also references the function of the building.
 
 The artist has placed two squares in the two diamond-shaped figures at the beginning and end of the entrance street, into which numerous letters have been carved. In the tile at the beginning, the letters are criss-crossed, as if they had fallen out of a book. This part of the floor decoration is placed in front of the fence to attract the attention of passers-by, inviting them to walk in further. In the tile at the end, the letters of the alphabet are neatly arranged, from A to Z. Here you can see the transition from chaos to order. 
 
 The diamond shapes are connected by two long, narrow bands that seem to grasp the tilted squares at the corners. Perpendicular to the entrance, two more lanes run to the side of the entrance street, towards the wall. This is to emphasise the connection with the architecture.

Farsi largo/Making Space consists of two figures, a man and a woman, who seem to be floating towards each other. The man hangs on his back, stretched out free in the space. His arms reach for the woman. She is partially stuck in the facade and it almost seems as if she is trying to free herself from it. Due to the posture and the direction of view, these sculptures clearly belong together. Their connection is reinforced by the metal wires coming out of the wall. These lines symbolise the communication between the figures.
 
The artist was inspired by the place where people pass by or stop to have a chat. It fills the atmosphere. In this way, according to the artist, the thoughts of the passers-by briefly come into contact with the stream of thought of the image. 
 
Architect Adolfo Natalini commissioned the sculpture. Mullarney, like Natalini, also lives in Italy, but is originally from Ireland.

At the first sight of Appuntamento con la musica, some confusion arises. Then it turns out that the man's upper body is rotated 180 degrees in relation to his lower body. He seems to be walking forwards, but at the same time he looks back, as if he wants to see where “the rest” is. The man plays two flutes and is commonly known as the Flute Player.

Roberto Barni was approached by architect Adolfo Natalini for a work of art in the Waagstraat complex. When Barni created the statue, he thought of a man on his way to an appointment. He walks to the rhythm of the music and looks back. The latter refers to the memory, the desire not to forget. According to the artist, the past conceals a tremendous energy that propels man and transports him into the present.

The Flute Player has been the target of vandals several times. One of the flutes has already been broken off a couple of times and then replaced each time by a copy in harder and stronger material.

The bust of Carl von Rabenhaupt was made by Willem Valk. The design is traditional – hardly anything of the innovative influence that Valk had before the Second World War is remaining. Von Rabenhaupt has been portrayed realistically, although the facial features are somewhat stylised. The large bunch of curly hair – the usual seventeenth-century wig – falls luxuriantly over his shoulders. The chest and shoulder pieces of the armour are shown. 
 
To Carl von Rabenhaupt, Groningen owes the annual celebration Gronings Ontzet (the Siege of Groningen), also known as “Bommen Berend” (Bombs Berend). On 28 August, the townspeople celebrate this festival to commemorate the end of the siege of the town by the bishop of Münster, whose nickname was Bommen Berend. After five weeks of episcopal rule, Field Lord Von Rabenhaupt liberated Groningen from this warlord on 28 August, 1672.

The architect of the building, Egbert Reitsma, also created the facade sculpture Saint Martin. The saint seems to ride out of the facade of the building on his horse. Because the sculpture is made of brick, like the building, it cannot really be distinguished from the facade. 
 
As mentioned, Saint Martin is the patron saint of the city of Groningen. His name day is celebrated every year, on November 11th. Children go to the doors with lanterns, sing a song and are given a treat. The underlying idea – in the spirit of Saint Martin – is a fair distribution of wealth.

The three sculptures all have a relationship with Groningen. In the middle stands Saint Martin, who lived in the fourth century and became Bishop of Tours at a later age. He is the patron saint of Groningen and can be recognised by his sword, which he used to cut his cloak in two to give a part to a beggar. On the left is Bernlef, a blind Frisian singer/poet who lived in the eighth century. At a later age in particular, he became famous in Groningen and Friesland with his spiritual songs. He is supposed to have been cured of his blindness by the preacher, Liudger. Together they are meant to have travelled across the North to bring the song of the Gospel. However, nothing of either his “pagan” songs or psalms has survived. He holds a harp in both hands for recognition. 
 
On the right is “Rudolf Agricola”. He was born in 1443 in Baflo, Groningen under the name Roelof Huysman and became one of the first renowned humanists of European. In 1479, he settled in Groningen again. In that same year, Agricola is said to have produced the organ in the Martini Church. The miniature version is in his hands. The images are each on a console in a shallow Gothic alcove. The alcove is divided into three sections by two vertical strips. By turning Bernlef and Agricola a quarter turn and having them look at Saint Martin, Valk has managed to unify the figures despite the three-way split.

The provincial war memorial Saint George and the Dragon was created by Ludwig Oswald Wenckebach. An allegory of the triumph of good over evil. The victory of the Allies over the Germans could hardly be depicted more symbolically.

Usually the combative Saint George stands with his feet on the dragon, while he almost won the fight. Here, however, the hero has a far from combative attitude: head bent, battle-weary perhaps. In his right hand he holds his sword that says on it: “Justitia, Libertas, Pax”, or: “Justice, Freedom, Peace”. The dragon is incorporated into the enormous sandstone base. It is embossed all around.

The early Christian legend of Saint George and the dragon dates back to the fifth century. The martyr Georgius defeated a dragon in his native near-eastern region, after which the people converted en masse to Christianity. Since about the eleventh century, it has been a popular motif for depicting the struggle between good and evil.

Ludwig Oswald Wenckebach (the family originally came from Germany) started his career as an artist with woodcuts and lithography. From 1927 onwards, he mainly created sculptures. From the beginning, he strived for a sleek, controlled design. Greek sculpture from the fifth century BC was an inspiring example for him in his work.
There are three sculptures by Van Wenckebach in the city. In addition to St. George and the Dragon, these are Figure of a boy (Jongensfiguur) and Reclining Woman (Liggende vrouw) at Selwerderhof cemetery. What connects these works is the classic form. In 1934, just before the creation of Reclining Woman, he made a short tour of Greece, followed by a five-month stay in 1938.

Paul Virilio (philosopher) designed the tenth sign: a well. It's located in the centre of the city. The corners of the well refer to the nine markers on the edge of the city. The St. Walburga's Church was located in the Martini churchyard until 1672. In the church there was a well on the spot where the city marker now stands. Virilio states that modern man needs a central point in his life to be able to dream. The well could be such a place. It offers a "view" of the centre of the earth; connects periphery and centre. Moreover, he exposes the city's past and allows new connections to emerge.
 
The work forms part of the Stadsmarkeringen, The Books of Groningen, marking the city boundaries, project.

A news ticker hangs between two stainless steel pillars. It does not provide the news, nor information about the departure times of the city buses that passed here until July 2023. The lyrics – written by writer Jacques Brooijmans – are about travel, buses, heart and lungs and are often poetic or philosophical in nature: “A lot of things are bought out of reluctance, how soon in the bus the regrets begin.” The bus stop in the Oosterstraat is crowned by a transparent plastic heart, illuminated with red neon. The work in the Gelkingestraat, which runs parallel to the Oosterstraat, has green illuminated lungs. The objects are permanently illuminated and the text runs continuously.

The bodies refer to the center and periphery of the city. When entering the city by bus you passed the red heart in the Oosterstraat, a symbol for the center and the dynamic activity around it. When you left the city, you went via the Gelkingestraat, past the green lungs - referring to the suburbs - to the peace and space.

The smooth, shiny stainless steel column by André Volten stands hidden between the trees. It measures more than thirteen and a half metres, has a diameter of almost one metre and runs slightly narrower towards the top. The hollow column with two wedge-shaped notches, which become wider and narrower in opposite directions, appear to be almost completely split. The statue stands on a relatively small plinth: a flat, round box of stone. The plinth not only serves as a base; there are lamps in it that illuminate the sculpture in the evening. 
 

A sandstone gate provides access to St. Anthony Gasthuis. On either side hang two sculpted garlands of fruit. Above the gate, there is a brick with the inscription, referring to the renovation in 1695 and the guardians at that time. On the left and right-hand side of the facing brick are an old man and woman. They are the “old castellans and the imprisoned of the city” who were given shelter here. The entirety is crowned by a so-called tympanum, decorated with goblet-like sculptures.
 
The guest house was probably founded at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The castle of the East Frisian Count Edzard, which had been demolished shortly before, served as a base. It must have been located about where the police station currently lies. The wooden frame of the writing room and library was dragged to the other side of the street in 1517. Over time, the guest house not only provided accommodation for the elderly, but also for plague sufferers and the mentally ill. A lucrative business because the cost of the patients was an important part of the income. On Sunday afternoon, the madhouse, the part where the mentally ill were housed, also became a tourist attraction.

Various pieces of art by artist Wladimir de Vries can be found in Groningen, including The Foal. This little brother to The Ome Loeks horse (Het peerd van Ome Loeks) is also called Little Loeks (Lutje Loeks). On a plinth, a graceful foal stands straight and proud. Nothing can be seen of the clumsiness of these young animals, which don't seem to know what to do with their long legs.

De Vries' working method can clearly be derived from the skin of the bronze statue. The artist made a model out of clay. He regularly applied small, flat balls the size of a ten cent piece to the model. This technique is therefore known as the “duplicate method”. The contours fade slightly and the play of light and shade comes to life.

There are various works of art by Wladimir de Vries in the city. The most famous are Agriculture and Livestock (Landbouw en Veeteelt) or Bare Bet (Blote Bet) on the Herebrug bridge, Bison (Wisent) in the Noorderplantsoen and this Foal (Veulen) on the Radesingel. His works – all figurative in nature – were created in the period from around 1950 to 1980. This was precisely the time when a predominant preference for abstract art began to emerge. But Wladimir de Vries continued to work in his original – traditional – style. De Vries' wilfulness also characterises his sculptures from which pride and well-being are expressed.

Armando's five-metre-high sculpture, an enormous tree trunk, was cast in bronze. The tree, which according to its size should be several hundred years old, lacks an important part that is characteristic of trees: the crowning treetop. The trunk has been cut off abruptly. Although the tree is placed amidst real trees, it stands out a great deal from them. This has partly to do with the monumental character of the sculpture and partly with the structure of the stump, which is less realistic. 
 
In the Werkman Year, 1995, the Municipality commissioned a monument from Armando for the Groningen printer and artist Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman. Werkman was shot by the Germans at the end of the Second World War in the woods near Bakkeveen. For Armando, it was immediately clear that the monument had to become a bronze tree. For the artist, who lived through the Second World War as a child, trees are linked to that war. Before the war, he played among the trees and during the war he had to cut them down. Werkman also mentions the cutting down of trees in his letters. This phenomenon made an impression on both men. The tree symbolises strength but at the same time vulnerability, it stands for intransigence and rebellion. A silent witness to what happened during the war years.

The constructivist-looking tower by Tom Postma and Alexander Schabracq bears the name of the cultural centre and is crowned by a red diamond. At night, the tower is illuminated by blue neon. Slanting against the entrance is a flagpole with a red flag draped over the edge of the roof. A globe is embraced by a winding black tube. An eye hangs to the left of the entrance.
 
With this artwork, the artists aimed to break through the business-like character of the building and betray something of what is going on inside. The light effects and colours give the work something festive and cheerful. The flag also contributes to this. According to the artists, the red gem stands for the 'sparkling, crystallised, ecstatic experience of every visitor to this centre'.