Open zuil, Frans Mossou 1988

Can a piece of art find redemption? Here at the Sloterplas, standing tall against the sky, is the Open zuil, Frans Mossou 1988. This five-meter high corten steel column has a story to tell, a story of rejection and rediscovery. The Open zuil was originally placed at Osdorpplein in 1988. Its stark, geometric form, a signature style of Frans Mossou, aimed to capture the contrast between light and dark, matter and void. Notice how the sides of the column splay outwards at the ends, allowing light to filter through the steel plates, a physical embodiment of Mossou’s artistic vision. However, the bustling Osdorpplein wasn’t receptive to Mossou’s creation. In 1995, the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts deemed the Open zuil “qualitatively very poor” and recommended its removal. Mossou, however, believed his work simply needed a more suitable environment to truly shine. He envisioned it amongst nature, where its starkness could complement the organic world. His vision became reality. After a period of uncertainty, the Open zuil was relocated to the Sloterplas in 2003. It now stands near the Cornelis Lelylaan, close to Meer en Vaart, amidst the flowers and plants Mossou had always imagined. The Open zuil, once dismissed, now graces the Sloterplas. It’s a testament to an artist’s belief in his creation, and a reminder that art can find its place, even after initial rejection. Its journey from Osdorpplein to Sloterplas mirrors the interplay of light and shadow captured in its design.