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What is this crazy pattern? On the Noordpolderkade, the ordinary gray paving stones near Esloo College suddenly turn into a dizzying pattern of black and white stripes. This so-called Dazzle Painting appears to be the work of The Hague sculptor Harold de Bree. Stroom The Hague invited him to make a sculpture on the street side for this Praktijkijkschool. But the sidewalk there proved too narrow and the budget was also too small for the substantial sculptures the sculptor normally makes. In the end, it became this particular painting.

As a sculptor, De Bree is fascinated by military objects. In his sculptures shown both in the Netherlands and abroad, you regularly see bunkers, submarines and guard towers popping up. He often builds them one-on-one and then gives them a twist. For example, by adding an element to them that is not logical (a sauna in a watchtower), or placing them in an illogical location (a submarine in a pond). At first, his images look trippy. Two seconds later, you realize that the artist is deliberately leading you astray.

The painting on the sidewalk at Esloo College also has its origins in the military. Dazzle paintings were notably used on ships during World War I. The sophisticated stripe patterns make it difficult for the enemy to tell how far away a ship is, what kind of vessel it is and how fast it is moving. Like De Bree's images, these patterns disrupt your viewing. Like a DJ uses samples, the artist here applies such painting to the sidewalk. In black and white. With red and white stripes at the entrance level. As if a red carpet has been rolled out for the students.