Michael Jacklin Gathering of the Tribes (1997)

Construction of the Wilhelminahof Courthouse, a design by the architectural firm Kraaijvanger Urbis, started in 1994 and was completed in 1997. Since then, a work by visual artist Michael Jacklin has been hanging on the facade. It is a six meter high abstract construction of stainless steel horizontal circles and vertical tubes, which stand on a small plateau protruding from the facade. The tube thickness Jacklin has used is the same everywhere, but the circles vary in diameter and are placed at different heights. This creates a sculpture that shows a different abstract form from every perspective. The client is the Government Buildings Agency; the work was made in the percentage scheme in the construction of the government building. Jacklin named his statue Gathering of the Tribes, a reference to the first gathering of artists and rock bands in San Francisco in 1967 with the aim of strengthening the sense of community and standing up to the established order of politicians and authorities. In 2024, the work was dismantled by the Central Government Real Estate Agency for restoration. After renovation of the building's exterior facades, the artwork will be put back. Expected in 2026.