This afternoon, the artwork Suikertunnels by visual artist Wineke Gartz was officially unveiled in Groningen. Commissioned by Kunstpunt, the work is part of De Suikerzijderoute, a new cycling and walking route connecting the city centre to the future Suikerzijde district. The artwork is located in two underpasses along the route, beneath the railway and the western ring road. Project leader Petra te Morsche: “Art in public space is part of people’s everyday environment. Suikertunnels strengthens the identity of this place and shows both its history and a glimpse of its future.”
Past, Present and Future in One Image
Suikertunnels is a transparent collage of colour, rhythm and lines, bringing together the past, present and future. The design is a visual landscape shaped by timelines and movement — a blend of progress and traditional techniques. Fragments of history, the current state of the area, and its future are interwoven throughout the artwork. Gartz explains: “The viaducts and the artwork together form a sculptural unity.” On the ceilings, dynamic colour fields alternate with areas of bare concrete. These colours continue onto the walls, flowing into painterly compositions made up of photographs and video imagery.
From Sugar Factory to Shipyards
The collage reflects the rich artisanal and industrial history of the area. It features elements such as the De Hoop oil mill, De Bok sawmill, the Sugar Factory, historic shipyards, and the Hoendiep canal, once used for horse-drawn barge transport — depicted through images of ships, manual labour, ropes and cranes. The surrounding Zeeheldenbuurt neighbourhood under development and the current Suikerunie site are also represented.
About Wineke Gartz
Wineke Gartz (Eindhoven, 1968) creates immersive installations that she exhibits internationally. Her work is always site-specific and consists of complex layers of image and sound. Gartz combines video and slide projections, drawings, objects, music and light, making full use of architectural space. She plays with perspective and perception, light and shadow, interior and exterior, and engages the viewer in her visual research into urban life, nature and mass media. Suikertunnels marks her first permanent artwork in public space.
Suikertunnels was developed by Kunstpunt Groningen on behalf of the Municipality of Groningen, with special thanks to Van Spijker Infrabouw, PanelPrint, Sips BV, and NVT Betonrenovatie Noord B.V.