Artwork Data

Title

Watertafels

Artist

Erick de Lyon

Year

2003

Artwork Location

Address

Bovendijk, Den Haag

City district

Wateringseveld

GPS data

52.026437943502, 4.2985611808258 View on map

Artwork Description

Text

In the early seventies, Erick de Lyon studied architecture at TU Delft. Shortly before completing his studies, he transferred to the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. There he learned to sculpt. While his early work consisted of monumental, abstract sculptures made of waste wood, his interest later shifted to landscape architecture and water management. With later works like 'Wet Eyes' (2007), he now enjoys a national reputation.

With his landscape projects, De Lyon tries to "connect things with each other", as he himself calls it. In doing so, he makes use of what is already present in the landscape. "You don't have to invent it, it's already there. You only have to pull it out", De Lyon said in an interview in the NRC (Ine Pope, 19 Sept 2007). This also applies to 'Wet Eyes'. For this work, near Winschoten, he realised two large, round forms on the basis of existing structures, which should catch excess river water. Once filled up, these two circles look like wet eyes. Only from the air can this project be recognised as art.

Given his track record, De Lyon was invited to create a work on the theme of water for Wateringse Veld. He wanted to make surface water, such as rain, visible. Normally that water runs off into the sewer, in Wateringse Veld the choice was made to give the relatively pure surface water its own drainage system. To this end, gutters have been laid in the middle of sloping streets, for example. These discharge directly into open water.

In order to emphasise this system of water management, De Lyon has equipped all inlets and outlets with so-called water tables. With heavy rainfall, the water splashes down into the canal. The canal in turn drains via three large water tables into Het Hemelwater. In dry weather, the water in the tables stands still and the surface reflects the Dutch clouds.

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