Fire under the world (Vuur onder de wereld)

About this artwork.

Fire under the world is a tribute to the poet and artist Hendrik de Vries, who was born in 1896 in the city of Groningen and settled in 1946 with his wife in Haren, in a house she called 't Woeste Hoekje (the wild corner). The title of the sculpture refers to a poem in which De Vries writes: "Whoever wants to start a fire only has to dig: / Underneath the world fire always smoulders". In his verses, inspiration from dreams plays an important role. The dream world, with its wild and haunting stream of images, was a driving force for his poetry; measure and rhyme a means of incantation. 

The fire is visible in the marble and stone, from which the flames rise, depicted in iron. 

About the assignment.

Bastiaan de Groot was commissioned to make the sculpture by ABN bank in Haren, which donated the statue to the municipality of Haren. 

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Bastiaan de Groot

• District
  Haren en omgeving

• Year of creation
  1996

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Bluestone, Marble, Iron

• Dimensions
  h 3,70/2,80 m