Four segments of steel define the Bretten Suite 12. These tower above everything here. This Bretten Suite 12 must be high to survive in this environment. It must have volume. Notice how the lampposts disappear in front of the buildings. That will not happen to the Bretten Suite 12.
The Bretten Suite 12 is part of a series of 20 sculptures. Herbert Nouwens created them. This series began in 2015. It forms a dialogue with the diverse landscapes of the Brettenpad. The Brettenpad is a bike and hiking trail. It is seven kilometers long. It starts in Westerpark. It runs past Sloterdijk train station. Then it goes to a rural environment at the outskirts of the city.
Nouwens positioned the sculptures in relation to one another. He was inspired by musical suites. These are collections of short musical pieces by 17th-century composers. Bach is one of them. They form a series of dances. The relationship between a sculpture and its surroundings is of key importance to Nouwens. He deliberately chose places along the Brettenpad that needed a landmark.
The base of the Bretten Suite 12 is impressive. It turns out to be able to carry all this colossus despite its small size. A double plate barely protrudes from the column. It secures stability. It also lifts the entire Bretten Suite 12 off the ground with its four protruding lips.
The Bretten Suite 12 is heavy. It is closed. It is solid. There is an inside but you cannot enter it. It stands on the grass in front of the corner of a rectangular building with a flat roof. This building is deadly boring. But the artwork is not bothered by that. The Bretten Suite 12 has four segments of about two meters. It is located just in front of the water of the Haarlemmervaart. The Brettenpad continues straight on after Suite 11. Then it turns left around a large office. This leads to the Haarlemmervaart.