Artwork Data
Artwork Location
Address
Carel van Bylandtlaan, Den Haag
City district
Haagse Hout
GPS data
52.093545709731, 4.3130272068848 View on map
Artwork Description
Text
High above the street and the greenery, a little man moves along on a thin cable. And he only does so when the sun is shining, because then solar cells convert the sun's energy into a propelling force. External factors and a mechanism therefore determine whether this 'Wire Runner' can continue on its way and how fast it can go back and forth on the 100-metre cable between the two buildings of Shell's head office.
This imaginative sculpture was made by Henk Visch. This sculptor is fascinated by the limits of the human brain. As a human being you are aware of the difference between the world as you perceive it with your senses and the world as you experience it in your mind. Visch's work moves between this inner and outer world and simultaneously attempts to bridge the distance between them. According to the artist, you need metaphors to do this. Visch wisely leaves open the question of whether the 'Thread Runner' is such a metaphor.
It was around 1980 that Visch first showed his so-called carpenter's drawings. These formed the transition to the sculptures with which he caused international furore in the early 1980s. He is considered one of the most important exponents of the new sculpture in our country. Like many other artists of the time, Visch switched from form research and abstract imagery to figuration and narrative representations.
Whether it is his openwork wire sculptures, his geometric constructions or the human figures reminiscent of African sculptures and tranquil images reminiscent of Egyptian art: Visch's work appeals to our human ability to mix reality, desire, memories and fantasies. Since everyone has their own frame of reference, the interpretation of Visch's images will change each time. His images are therefore never unambiguous.