Ultra – Silvia B. (2004)

On the Emmasingel, on the pavement, in front of the De Regentes residential tower designed by the archirect Abe Bonnema, who died in 2001, stands the sculpture Ultra by Silvia B.

At first glance, this lady satisfies well-known beauty ideals: she has a fine, pale face with high cheekbones, a trendy forest of hair and a piercing under her lip. She seems to be standing impressively high on her legs, in a dress with the huge skirt draped over a crinoline. Silvia B. drew inspiration for this sculpture from current scientific developments which contribute to what man can do. The lady is an anti-beauty; a sum of different types and styles. Cascade’s postmodernist architecture provides an appropriate backdrop for this. But the woman appears to be a doll, and the perspective between upper and lower body is incorrect. Her short legs dangle underneath the transparent skirt. She has elevated herself, as it were, in the wheeled crinoline, and moves with prosthetic arms.

The art commission
The Cascade complex is a place dominated by architecture. A work of art in this place should, among other things, contrast with the architecture in its own, powerful, different form, which testifies to a feel for size and scale. The commission is a public-private partnership. The partners are Amstelland Vastgoed B.V., Rijksgebouwendienst Noord and the Municipality of Groningen (Department of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment/Ministry of Economic Affairs and the CBK acting as contractor).