Still Life, Still Life

About this artwork.

Still Life, Still Life originally consisted of three sculptures that formed a gigantic still life when together. However, as a result of the expansion of the Martini hall in 2000, only one remains. The piece was created with a sculpture of two pears (4.5 metres), which literally referred to the classic still life. The second sculpture (7 metres) had a sort of jug shape and was entirely covered with oak. The third sculpture, which is still present, consists of a 15-metre-tall pi sign that seems to be making a move across the road towards the MartiniPlaza. 
 
Gert Jan Mulder was commissioned to create a visual marker for the area around the entrance to the car park at the Martini Trade Park (now Noordelijk Trade Centre). After studying the environs, the artist decided that the piece should form a “bridge” over Leonard Springerlaan. In doing so, his aim was for the sculpture to guide visitors from the car park to the square in front of Martinihal (now MartiniPlaza). Furthermore, the piece had to bring a sense of human measurement and scale to the large space.
 
Mulder based this work on an important principle for the painted still lives of the Golden Age, when this genre had a rich tradition. Composing a still life was a metaphor for man's urge to bring order to his life.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Gert Jan Mulder

• District
  Stadspark

• Year of creation
  1995

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Steel

• Dimensions
  h 12,75 x b 3,75 m