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Rotterdam sculpture

The sculpture

The sculpture perpendicular planes, homage to Oud and van Doesburg - architect J.J.P. Oud and artist Theo van Doesburg. This sculpture is one of the site specific sculptures and environmental sculpture in cities and public art by the Finnish / Dutch sculptor Lucien den Arend. It is installed on the Rotterdam Marconiplein, which is one of the busiest squares - actually intersections - of the city.

Nearby, the housing project 'Spangen' inspired the sculptor to dedicate it to the archtitect J.J.P. Oud and the artist Theo van Doesburg, who designed the integrated art. He did not make sculptures but used the steel, stone and glass, which was used as building materials, to give new meaning to old conventions.

With the sculpture near this site, the sculptor used his geometric language to evoke the sense of the 'new building' (het nieuwe bouwen) theories to create a monumental public sculpture which was specific to the site and integrated into urban life.

MARCONIPLEIN			1983-87 - *Homage to Oud and van Doesburg - perpendicular planes*, constructed concrete sculpture, Marconiplein, Rotterdam NL
the MARCONI SQUARE	sculpture
Lucien den Arendsculptor			Rotterdam THE NETHERLANDS
*"perpendicular planes, homage to Oud and van Doesburg" architedt J.J.P. Oud and artist Theo van Doesburg* see the construction photographs and pages	HOME	see more photographs of the sculpture	The construction workers spent all day erecting the sculpture. This man looked like a bronco buster when fastening fifteen bolts which were to keep the construction together. Setting up the first two slabs took only a few hours. The third gave much more difficulty, as it was to be fit under the second and onto the first, and simultaneously lock into one of the three stainless steel notches in the triangular foundation. A third crane came into action to lift the whole construction in order to succeed. "If this would not have been successful, there would have been no alternative but to let it collapse. Even when done as slowly as possible they would have broken as they would come to lie unpredictably on top of each other. Some luck was needed, and we had it" Lucien den Arend

In 1918-1919 the artist Théo van Doesburg designed the stained glass windows above the doors of the Spangen housing project - blocks I and V - designed by Architect J.J.P. Oud.

The geometric abstract qualities of these windows inspired Lucien den Arend to dedicate perpendicular planes to Oud and van Doesburg. At the time perpendicular planes was being installed these windows were still in place in Spangen which is below the dike on which the Marconiplein is located.

one of the windows with a more primary color scheme (Théo van Doesburg - 1918-1919)