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Because I find them very beautiful and because they are timeless', was the reason for artist Berry Holslag to take ancient Greek vase paintings as an example for her work at the sports hall in Moerwijk. At the entrance you will find four tile panels. They show two fist fighters, a gymnast, a javelin thrower and a long jumper, sports that are still practised in more or less the same way today.

According to the Greeks, gods should be depicted with a perfect body, well-proportioned and muscled like a trained athlete. Holslag based the tableaux on the so-called red-figure style from the fifth century B.C., in which the representation was carved into the black glaze. Black lines and, where necessary, red glaze were used to indicate the muscles, folds and eyes. The shape of the 'Fistfighters' and the 'Shatterer' even suggests that we are looking at a shard from an ancient Greek vase.

Within Holslag's oeuvre, these tile tableaux are quite exceptional, as they are two-dimensional and executed in shades of grey. More people will be familiar with her colourful, clothed sculptures such as the 'Conversation'. An important constant in Holslag's work is the use of large-format ceramics.