Sign (Teken)

About this artwork.

Sign was placed in 1968 at the former Gasunie head office on Laan Corpus den Hoorn. In 1994 the sculpture was given a place in the garden near the new Gasunie building on Concourslaan.

Sign is an eight-metre-tall pillar that pierces three horizontal planes. The pillar ends in three separate “towers”. At the time, the rough texture of the sculpture contrasted sharply with the sleek Gasunie building. However, nowadays it ties in precisely with organic architecture: architects Alberts and Van Huut made extensive use of natural materials, colours and shapes drawn from nature in the construction of the new Gasunie office. Sign is characterised by its organic colours and shapes. The sculpture seems to have come about through growth and erosion rather than by human hands. The artist achieved this effect by following a remarkable process. As moulds he used wooden formwork covered with polystyrene on the inside. He tackled this surface with a welding device, so that parts of the foam melted away and pieces clumped together. After doing this, he poured the moulds full of aluminium concrete that solidified into these capricious shapes – as if the image had not been created by human hands, but by growth and erosion.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Jacob van der Meij

• District
  Stadspark

• Year of creation
  1968

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Aluminum concrete

• Dimensions
  h 8,25 m