Sometimes art just seems to appear in a public space: suddenly it’s standing there. What you don't see is the process that preceded it. A good example of this is the 'Wervel' (Vortex) artwork by Nicky Assman. It seems to hang almost weightlessly in the middle of the parking garage of Forum Groningen, as if it has always been there. Nicoline Wijnja knows better: as the client and project leader, she was involved in the development of ‘Wervel’ for over three years. Wijnja explains how this kind of process works.
A work of art in a public space begins with an art commission. Wijnja, working with an art committee, is tasked with formulating these commissions. She explains that a good art commission challenges an artist within certain limits. ‘What is important for us here is that the project is very context oriented and responds to a specific location. It shouldn't be a work of art that you can simply put anywhere.’ The art commission that was ultimately issued for the Forum garage emphasised innovation, science, dynamism and technology as central themes for the Forum. ‘Furthermore, the location had already been determined,’ adds Wijnja. ‘The artwork would be installed in the open space above the garage.’ That specific, public place can invite experimentation — the work can be seen from all sides as cars drive through the garage — but it must also remain user-friendly. Creating the art commission therefore requires vision and attention to the meaning and the draw of a particular place, as well as to its possibilities and limitations.
Linchpin for the commission
Fortunately Wijnja doesn't have to do that alone: ‘It takes a whole team to create the art commission. Pieter Bannenberg, the architect of the Forum, also contributed ideas, as did Sietze Bodewits of the Municipality of Groningen. You create a commission like this by engaging in a dialogue with each other.’ In the end, there were seven people on the art committee, with each member bringing their own expertise to the table. As the linchpin for the commission as a whole, Wijnja's role was to take all these perspectives into account and keep the ultimate goal sharply in everyone’s sights.
A work with impact
With the art commission formulated, Wijnja and artistic advisor Jan Samson made a longlist of possible artists. ‘At this point, we choose artists who we think can actually do something with the commission. We were looking for someone who creates spatial installations, has a background in science and works with moving images. Our ambition was a work with impact. The Forum is a distinct building, and so is the artwork.’ The committee ultimately selected three artists from the longlist. They presented the commission to them. Nicky Assmann won and ‘Wervel’ would be created. This was Assmann’s first work in a public space.
Maintaining boundaries
In the design process that followed, the art committee remained intensively involved in the development of ‘Wervel’. ‘At one point, Nicky presented the designs for the visuals that would be featured in Wervel,’ says Wijnja. ‘Rein Mebius from the parking company then reminded her that it shouldn't move or flash too much, so that people with epilepsy, for example, wouldn’t have a seizure.’ This meant that there were constantly elements that Assmann had to take into account, including such things as maintenance and durability.
But where certain boundaries had to be maintained properly, others were opened up by Wijnja. ‘Wervel’ is an extremely complex work from a technical standpoint, which required the development of both hardware and software. Furthermore, it is extremely heavy: the sculpture tips the scales at roughly 2100 kg. Ultimately, the project costs exceeded the planned budget as a result. Wijnja: ‘At the time we asked ourselves: could the piece be smaller? But we thought that was such a waste: we didn't really want to make any concessions when it came to the artwork. That is why we applied for extra money from the Mondriaan Fund. As the client, we have ensured that the artist's design can be implemented in an ideal way.’
Note: This article has been translated using Google Translate