Text

A series of light-blue cubes decorate the central reservation of the Reigersbergenweg. The maker, Ferry Simonis, grew up in Mariahoeve. This post-war neighbourhood was built according to the then prevailing ideals of 'New Building': austere, clear, light, air and space. With his blocks, the artist referred to the constructivist character of the buildings.

Simonis was a late bloomer. He only began his career as an artist after completing, at the age of 32, the evening graphics course at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Initially, he worked in a figurative manner, but gradually the etching plate took a more prominent place than the print. By bending the plate with the etched lines, an intriguing optical effect was created. His material became metal and the bending led to three-dimensional works like this series of cubes.

Their origin is not denied, as the design of the sculptures is just as graphic as the flat work. However, the three-dimensionality adds a quality: the inclined construction, the colour transitions and the changing shadows turn the sculpture into a constantly changing image. It was not for nothing that the working title was 'Aerobic Cubism': a good name for a slightly swinging work of art.

In the early nineties, Simonis exchanged his role as an artist for that of organiser of literary events. Dichter aan Huis' is one of his better-known projects.