Yellow Wings Sculpture

A splash of sunshine against steel and sky. That’s the Yellow Wings Sculpture. It greets you from its watery perch in Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam. The Yellow Wings Sculpture isn’t just a modern marvel. It’s a vibrant echo of the past, a reincarnation of a beloved artwork called “Bijlmobiel”. The original Bijlmobiel, designed by Loes van der Horst, graced this very neighborhood back in 1976. It was a web of steel cables and aluminum masts, strung with overlapping nets. Sadly, time and urban renewal weren’t kind to the Bijlmobiel. It was dismantled and stored, its parts weathering the years. Decades later, in 2011, the city decided to revive the spirit of Bijlmobiel. Van der Horst, then an incredible 90 years old, collaborated with engineer Mick Eekhout to create a new vision. The Yellow Wings Sculpture was born. This vibrant sculpture features shorter and longer masts connected by cables. Stretched across these cables are overlapping planes of aluminum strips, painted a cheerful egg-yolk yellow. These planes form a dynamic, wing-like structure, catching the light and the eye. Sadly, Van der Horst passed away in 2012. She never saw her final artwork come to life. In 2015, the Yellow Wings Sculpture was unveiled, a testament to her artistic vision and a joyful reminder of Bijlmermeer’s past. The Yellow Wings isn’t just art. It’s a story of rebirth, a conversation between past and present, and a splash of sunshine on a cloudy day.