Dubbelvorm 6 (Double shape 6)

About this artwork.

Dubbelvorm 6 is the official name of the sculpture, but it is popularly called De Poort. The work of art consists of a succession of rectangular shapes that are arranged in such a way that they form a gate. The official title - Double shape - refers to the mirroring shapes that are also reversible.
No one will think of birds when they see the "gate". Still, these animals were ultimately the source of the motif. The artist himself speaks of a stylized bird shape, the tips of the wings of which touch the water, creating a play of reflections.

The very first sculptures by Carel Visser (1928-2015) were expressionist in character. However, quite soon in his career as a sculptor he began to make elaborate abstractions of nature motifs in iron and steel. Animal and human figures are an important source of inspiration. He made many variations on the theme of mating birds, which he depicted more and more abstractly. Ultimately, his images became completely abstract constructions, of which De Poort is a typical example.

The statue is part of the series Double Shapes - a series of six sculptures - and is made of weathering steel.

About the assignment.

In 1969 De Poort was donated to the Niemeyer tobacco factory by the Joint Dutch Industry, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Niemeyer. Initially, the statue stood next to the factory's old tobacco shed. In 1977 it was moved to the other side of the road, at the new Niemeyer building at Paterswoldseweg 43. In 2013 this building changed hands and the sculpture was returned to the tobacco factory. After the restructuring of the Paterswoldseweg in 2020, De Poort was given a place on the Koeriersterweg.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Carel Visser

• District
  Stadspark

• Year of creation
  1957

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Cortenstaal

• Dimensions
  h 4,00 m x b 2,70 x d 2,50 m