Vogelzwerm

About this artwork.

The beginning of the Jensemaheerd, on the corner with the Amkemaheerd, is marked by a free-standing work of stylized birds stretching diagonally into the sky. This flock of birds is made of corten steel plates of different thicknesses, all of which are connected to each other. The whole stands on a black, open plinth with a triangular base.

The Groningen artist William van de Velde, aka Kunsteboer, made the design for Vogelzwerm  20 years ago  when a flock of geese flew away from him. “One goose was close by, the others were getting smaller and smaller. Combined with the birds that I drew as a small child in the corner of a notebook, which I let fly, as it were, by sliding the pages along my thumb, I have come to the work of art.”

About the assignment.

This location in Beijum once housed a telephone booth and a letterbox. When these had disappeared for a while in 2017, a group of lords took the initiative for a work of art as a new landmark. They started working on their idea together with the municipality of Groningen. In Van de Velde's design, the initiative group recognized the geese that often fly over Beijum to the nearby countryside. Birds are characteristic of the Jensemaheerd, which lies on the border between city and countryside.

This project was made possible by the municipality of Groningen and a crowdfunding campaign by residents.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Kunsteboer (William van de Velde)

• District
  Beijum

• Year of creation
  2021

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Cortenstaal, Aluminum concrete

• Dimensions
  h 4,2 m (zonder sokkel: 2,1 m)