Memories, Memories

About this artwork.

Post-war urban construction was dominated by a tendency towards the large scale and the uniform. For this reason the design and construction method of the houses in the northern districts of Selwerd, Vinkhuizen and Paddepoel was highly standardised. Due to the repetitive design of the identical building blocks, it is sometimes difficult to orientate yourself in these neighbourhoods. The sculpture by Gert Jan Mulder functions as an artistic landmark, as the title of the work also indicates.
 
Memories, Memories originally consisted of two wall sculptures that formed an artistic landmark. However, as a result of large-scale renovations to the apartment building on the east side, only one remains. The sculptures, placed on two opposing side facades, showed similarities in form, but differed from each other in small elements and in use of colour.
Gert Jan Mulder described the meaning as follows: “The idea behind the design comes from (...) conversations with the residents. Everybody knows about those little souvenirs – stones, trinkets or a sugar sachet – that were taken from somewhere else. We usually keep them on a corner of the windowsill, in a dish on the mantelpiece, together with that old bicycle key, elastic bands and a paper clip. So I have considered the end facades of the two flats as the corners of the neighbourhood's mantelpiece, with some trinkets on top, a vase, jar, an oval pillbox and an insignificant hair clip (...) The two neon lines on the facades make an important contribution to the composition and serve as a beacon, especially when it's dark – as a visual gateway to the neighbourhood.” 
 
After graduating from the art academies of Groningen and Maastricht, Mulder designed sets for various theatre companies for quite some time. With a background like that, it is only logical that the environment plays an important role in the creation of his sculptures and installations. According to Mulder, a piece of art is only successful if it really intervenes in the relationship between the public and the environment. If this doesn’t happen, he says it does not add enough and becomes merely decorative. Mulder gained national fame with the facade project, in which he temporarily transformed the facade of the Groninger Stadsschouwburg.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Gert Jan Mulder

• District
  Selwerd

• Year of creation
  1996

• Art type
  Art in / on a building, Wall sculpture, Light artwork

• Material
  Polyester, Steel, Aluminium, Polystyrene

• Dimensions
  h 15,00 x b 6,00 m