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Blown away statue replaced by jester: this is how you could summarise the history of art on Koningsplein in a nutshell. After a large-scale renovation, the square was crowned in 2003 with an unusual equestrian statue by Zadok Ben-David. He placed only the skeleton of a horse on a pedestal. Unfortunately, the statue proved to be prone to storms and the pedestal became empty. Residents then set up an art committee and, in consultation with the art centre Stroom Den Haag, commissioned the internationally successful artist Folkert de Jong to make a new sculpture.

De Jong is interested in history and what that history tells us about the era we live in now. To this end, he makes sculptures of historical figures which he displays in theatrical settings. As if you are watching a play or a film with exaggerated or even grotesque figures. This is also the case here on the Koningsplein. De Jong created a jester for this square. This figure plays a special role at court. On the one hand, he may mock the king, but at the same time, the same king is his employer. To bring his 'Player' to our times, De Jong took a good look at the famous actors Klaus Kinski and William Dafoe.

The Player' is De Jong's first bronze sculpture in public space. Until then, he had worked exclusively with synthetic materials such as styrofoam and polyurethane. His sometimes spooky, sometimes humorous light blue and hard pink sculptures are therefore clearly recognisable. However, this material is too vulnerable to be used in public spaces. He has coloured the dark bronze skin of the sculpture on Koningsplein here and there. Now the jester bathes in the light of stage lamps like an actor on stage and plays a seductive game between king and jester. And that gives us food for thought.