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CITIES - sculptures and land art
Zwijndrecht Discoid Form 3
Now people live along the river 'Oude maas' in the Zwijndrecht section of OPAM Sculpture Park (Beeldenpark Drechtoevers). Before the last decade of the twentieth century the riverbanks were regarded as the access to transport over water. As a result most of the industry was situated along the rivers. But during the eighties and nineties these areas attracted the attention of city planners and architects, who saw the potential of living and recreating along these rivers. Zwijndrecht had a long history of shipping and shipbuilding. Generations of skippers, navigating their vessels between Basel and Rotterdam - carrying goods - came from this town; and many still live there.
Discoid form 3 1973-2008/9/11 bronze - Ø180x80cm - Zwijndrecht NL - photo©Chris Wijmans
Creating a sculpture park in this area was a challenge for me. The design of my sculpture was also inspired by the shapes and forms of ships and their propellers. Casting this sculpture in bronze is of course related to the bronze propeller blades. And of all cities - Zwijndrecht deserved most to have this sculpture installed in the city (actually town) center. That the city council let itself be convinced by some woman architect advisor to move it away from the city hall is maybe a serendepitous decision after all. The sculpture relates directly to the hundreds of ships passing through this busiest inland shipping route of Europe.
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