Wind sculptures by César Manrique

Driving around on Lanzarote you can't miss the art works made by local artist and architect César Manrique (1919-1992). Several roundabouts have spectacular wind sculptures that make you want to stop and look, and study them to find out how clever they are. The one above gently moves forwards and backwards in the breeze..

..and here everything just turns around in both directions; so not just in the direction the winds blows but actually in opposite directions.

Giacometti

Both photos in this post show art by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966). They are part of the Fundatie Museum's current exhibition 'Facing Fear', with sculptures by Giacometti and English sculptor Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003). Their work pictures the sense of fear and disillusionment that pervaded Europe during the Cold War period.

In Giacometti's work he reduces the human (and animal) form to its bare essentials.
´Walking Man´ is seen as the ultimate symbol of the solitary traveller in time that we each are in our heart of hearts. Despite his attenuated boday and narrow head, the walking man is inseparably connected to the earth by his larege, heavy feet. -from the museum's info.

Tree sculpture

We spotted a really nice tree sculpture on the grounds of the Boomkroompad outdoor centre in Drouwen.

Early May the annual 'Boomkroonpad Carving Cup' took place here, in which a number of 'chainsaw artists' competed against eachother. I don't know if this was a price winning piece, but I'd like to think so!

The Hell of Jipsinghuizen

Less than a century ago -in 1924- the province of Groningen started an unemployment relief programme to provide jobs for the many people who needed work in those days. It wasn't on a voluntary basis though; in and around a hamlet called Jipsinghuizen men were forced to dig the barren land, and for very little money. The conditions were so bad and dramatic that it became known as 'the hell of Jipsinghuizen'.

This sculpture, also called 'The Hell of Jipsinghuizen', stands across the former tram station where the workers arrived. It expresses the desperation of the past and the hope for a new tomorrow. It was made by Dutch sculptor Eddy Roos (1949).

Fraeylemaborg estate

The Fraeylemaborg estate is an area of about 20 hectares. At the end of the 18th century it was restructured into a romantic park in English style, with winding paths and ponds. Nowadays it is a close forest with walking paths. One central view from the borg until the end of the estate remained though. This photo was taken from that point at the edge of the estate, maybe a bit difficult to see but the white in the middle is the borg.

A girl from Staphorst

Near the Steamboat Quay (you can see the pancake ship from yesterday's post in the background), I found this sculpture picturing a girl from Staphorst, a village near Meppel. The sculpture was created in 1967 by Dutch sculptor Theo van der Nahmer (1917-1989) by order of local publisher J.A. Boom, on the occasion of their 125th jubilee. It was a gift to the town of Meppel.

As Van der Nahmer's wife had a close friend from Staphorst, she most likely inspired him for this art work. The people from Staphorst are known for wearing traditional costumes, which can still be seen today.

Wood carving

We found some amazing wood sculptures at 'De Beeldentuin' ('The Sculpture Garden') in the village of Garderen, like this gentleman..  Could be a Greek god.

These pieces accompany this year's Sand Sculpture Festival, which is next to De Beeldentuin. More about that on a later date.

Odoorn ice-skating rink

On foot from the Schapenpark nature area back to the village of Odoorn we passed the skating rink and canteen belonging to the local ice-skating club 'Schoonmeer'. During the Winter when it is cold enough this area will be flooded so a shallow field of ice will appear. Surrounded by forest it must look nice when everything is frozen.

An ice-skater made from tubes looks out over the field. According to the text underneath the sculpture was most likely put here in 2001 at the 75th anniversary of the ice-skating club. It says:  "1926-2001 IJsvereniging Schoonmeer".

Mao suit

 

In the courtyard of the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede is this sculpture of a suit called ´Legacy Mantle´. It was the kind of uniform coat that Mao Zedong (1893-1976) used to wear in public, and in the West it eventually turned into an icon for the Maoist period and a symbol for Chinese communism in general.

It was made by Sui Jianguo (1956), a contemporary Chinese artist.

Waterfall

Searching through my photo archives I found these from the `From Turner to Apple´-exhibition in the Fundatie Museum in Zwolle, back in 2015. The exhibition showed a variety of art works with paintings from William Turner, Piet Mondriaan, Karel Appel and many more. Besides paintings a number of sculptures were shown, like  'Waterfall', a 3D printed sculpture by contemporary artist Eyal Gever (Haifa 1970).

"Turner was fascinated by the force of ocean storms. Eyal Gever too, is attracted by the overwhelming power of the sea. Waterfall is his physical translation of water. This printed sculpture looks like Turner's solidified paint. The medium with which they work could not be more different, but Turner and Gever share their vision on beauty and the sublime". (from the text at the sculpture)

Rodin exhibition

Last Thursday I went to Groningen to visit the exhibition 'Rodin - Genius at Work' at the Groninger Museum. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) is the greatest and most influential sculptor of the modern era. His works do not simply represent idealised forms of the human body, but also bear traces of the creative process. (from the museum site)

With this female torso sitting in an earthenware pot beautifully placed in a glass bell, and with the sculptures on the photo above all put in glass displays, there were nice shadows and reflections so I am contributing this post to James´ Weekend Reflections.

Another post about Rodin tomorrow. Happy Saturday!

Running Hare

This remarkable sculpture of a running hare stands at the Belgium coast in a nature area called ´Het Zwin´, that we visited during our stay in Bruges at the end of November. It´s me standing there next to it (how about the size of the sculpture!), and I was about to take..

..this photo of the hare with the North Sea in the background! :)
The name of the bronze sculpture is ´Hospitality´; the animal stands for liberty, independence, dynamics, fertility, strength and individuality. It was made by Barry Flanagan (1941-2009), a Welsh sculptor who is best known for his bronze statues of hares and other animals.

After a cold night

 We have this small sculpture in our garden of 2 balancing frogs underneath a small umbrella and both wearing crowns haha. This morning they were frozen white! At 9 a.m. it was still -6,5°C (20°F) and they made a pretty picture with the sun shining on the trees at the back.

Trick of vision

 To the people of the orchid & birdbush 'Eureka Texel - Orchideeën & Vogelbush' , an orchid and birdbush on the island of Texel: thanks for giving us the fright of our lives ;)

The Four Pelicans

Located at the Tweebaksmarkt in Leeuwarden is the smallest, in Jugendstil style built, theatre in Europe. It was built in 1903-1904 to house an insurance-office named "Utrecht"; since 2013 it's a theatre for small concerts, cabaret, lectures, exhibitions and workshops.

There is a remarkable sculpture on the roof made by Dutch sculptor Joseph Mendes da Costa (1863-1939), picturing 4 pelicans. The pelican symbols the insurance occupation, as the animal feeds her offspring with her own blood if necessary   -so their site explains. But to be honest I'm a bit lost there! Googling a bit further I learned that in early Christianity the pelican symbolised mother-love: pelicans were pictured with their chest pecked open by themselves, so their offspring could be fed with blood.
Hmm, I still do not see a clear link with the insurance trade... how about you?

Stadsweeshuys

This gate used to be the entrance of the former 'Stadsweeshuys' ('City Orphanage') at the Jacobijnerkerkhof in Leeuwarden. Opened in 1676, thousands of orphans as well as children from poor families grew up here until it closed in 1953. Nowadays the Natuurmuseum Fryslan (Frisian Nature Museum) is located here.
But ehm ..wait! If you look carefully.. is that a bird sitting there???

It is a blue stork reading a book! :)

National Monument

Pigeons sit on one of two male sculptures representing members of the Dutch resistance, at the side of the National Monument on Dam Square in Amsterdam. Other sculptures on this World War II monument, a concrete conical pillar, represent suffering and loyalty, victory, liberation, peace, and new life.

I'm linking to Saturday's Critters on Eileen's blog.

Wagon with Portraits

This work of art is named "Wagon with Portraits" and stands in front of the Nijenhuis Castle in Heino/Weihe. The heads were created by Dutch sculpturor Cornelis Rogge (1932). Somehow it really appeals to me!
In the background is the entrance of the museum.

Tenerife beach art

 

A large metal sculpture at the promenade along the beaches of Costa Adeje and Playa de las Américas, in the south of Tenerife.

It is a nice object to photograph from different angles, but I am rather curious what J.L. Salvador -the artist who created it- had in mind!

Aquarelliste

Only a few sculptures are left to stay in the Buitenplaats Museum gardens during the winter months. This piece named 'Aquarelliste' by Jet Schepp is one of them, it is placed on top of a wall/grass grown roof across the Oranjerie, and pictures a lady who is creating an aquarel painting. It's a very peaceful scene.

Jet Schepp (1940) is a Dutch sculptor, she lives and works in Amsterdam.