Two square columns stand diagonally. They face the office tower across the road. This is Brettensuite 9 /20.
Brettensuite 9 /20 is part of a series of 20 sculptures. Herbert Nouwens created it. The sculptures dialogue with the Brettenpad landscapes since 2015. This area feels like a chilly stone desert. It is ruled by economic and financial efficiency. Asphalt, concrete paths, and railway tracks fill the space. Office towers of steel, bricks and glass are everywhere. They are reduced to the most usable form. That form is the rectangular space.
Nouwens placed two square columns. They are about four meters high. They stand diagonally opposite each other. A right angle is formed from two shorter beams. This angle sits on top of the columns. It extends over them.
The result is a geometric whole. It could be a building corner. It is pushed out over two piles. The piles are not below but on the ground. It might also be a floating building corner. This corner has no walls.
The upright columns of Brettensuite 9 /20 are slightly tapered. The plate was not turned straight and square. This makes the sculpture come alive.
Herbert Nouwens chose locations needing a landmark. The Brettenpad is a bike and hiking trail. It is seven kilometers long. It starts in Westerpark. It runs past Sloterdijk train station. It ends in a rural area on the city’s outskirts.
Nouwens positioned the sculptures. He was inspired by musical suites. Musical suites are collections of short musical pieces. Composers like Bach created them in the 17th century. They form a series of dances.
The West Art Stimulation Prize was awarded to the Brettensuite in September 2015. Officials Maaike Sijbrandij, Piet Koster, and Pieter Boekschooten helped make it happen. The Brettensuite integrates art and culture. It reuses cultural heritage. It creates new win-wins.
The proactive officials made the sculptures possible. They connected two city districts. They linked a nature area and an office area. The Brettensuite adds allure. It provides anchor points to the Brettenzone. It does this even in less prominent spots.
The artist Herbert Nouwens cooperated fully. The sculpture series is varied. It ranges from strict to organic forms. The rusty corten steel makes it a recognizable whole. Each sculpture has surprising elements. Approaching it reveals something different than expected.
The jury included Theo Haring and Victorien Koningsberger. Other nominees included writer Hugo Hoes. Also nominated were Festival The Brave. Galerie C-Lab van Kunst-West was nominated too.
City ecologist Remco Daalder wrote about the Brettensuite. He described cyclists heading to Westerpark. He noted runners and urban nature. He saw breeding herons and ring-tailed parakeets.
The Brettensuite is marked with green dots. Cyclists and runners follow the dots. Forest birds sing from the gardens. A hawk shoots through the trees. Nouwens’ sculptures add simple accents. They serve as meeting places.
One sculpture looks like a tree stump. It stands in the water. It joins the alder, poplar and carrots. The sculpture gives the place a mystical atmosphere.
Sombre, angular figures accentuate the environment’s practicality. A cheerful curl near the sports fields lifts the mood. The sculptures become beacons in the wasteland. They make the threatening space more intimate.
Jeroen Damen described the Brettenpad. It is a cycling and walking path. It is marked with green and white dots. It runs from Amsterdam West to Halfweg. The path is named after an inn. It is called “Het Huis Bretten.”
The Municipality of Amsterdam calls it the last urban wilderness. There is pure Dutch vegetation. There are willows, alder, birch and oak. Rare species also grow here. Stone plaques show images of the vegetation and animal life. It is a paradise for city dwellers.
The city is evident. Industrial sites are along the path. There are sports fields and allotment complexes. The railroad is also nearby. The sculptures are called Suites by the sculptor. The text board shows the coherence of the twenty sculptures.
Herbert Nouwens’ Brettensuite 9 /20 stands as a testament. It highlights the intersection of art and urban life. It adds a unique dimension to Amsterdam’s landscape.