On January 24, 2005, a new artwork by Marcelle van Bemmel was unveiled on the Bergsingel. Van Bemmel's brief was to create an artwork that would reflect the past and make the history of the 19th-century canals tangible. Two lines of text are reflected in the water: "later is now' and 'now was laterWith this artwork, Van Bemmel also wanted to create a "mirror of the future." The lines of text are a play on words, each containing four words that connect the present, past, and future. People walking along the canal can regularly check whether the texts are visible in the water reflection that day, depending on the weather. The concept of a "mirror of the past" immediately raised a question for the Rotterdam artist Van Bemmel. Why refer to the history of the canals when it is so palpably present? With its old houses and large trees, it seems as if the area has always been this way. But upon closer inspection, much has indeed changed. Many buildings have been added, the water basins have been relocated, and traffic has increased. Thus, the canal itself is a kind of distorted mirror of the past, creating a yearning to walk right through it, right into that bygone era. But to what extent is such a "mirror" reality? To what extent is the image we have of the past accurate? Van Bemmel's work is not unique. The canals were renovated according to the original design by the 19th-century city architect Willem Nicolaas Rose (1801-1877), and art was given an important role in this. The former district of Noord approached CBK Rotterdam for this major renovation project of the various canals and commissioned an art plan; this was Visual Arts and the Rotterdam Canal Families by Han Goan Lim and Albert Kliest. Based on this, several art commissions were announced, including Lake Bermuda by Susanne Kriemann and a seating area and blue bridge by Jeroen Doorenweerd on the Bergsingel and Noordsingel. Works of art have also been placed on the Spoorsingel and Provenierssingel, such as In the city / The young man on the island from Henk Visch, A swan in the distance from Klaas Gubbels and Kryptonian Ice Lake by Guido Marsille and Onno Poiesz.
Marcelle van Bemmel (1948) prefers to use 'materials' that have no definable form, such as water, reflections, light and shadow, sound, but also time. Her commissioned work creates a relationship with the environment and the public, and often refers to the history of the place.
On January 24, 2005, a new artwork by Marcelle van Bemmel was unveiled on the Bergsingel. Van Bemmel's brief was to create an artwork that would reflect the past and make the history of the 19th-century canals tangible. Two lines of text are reflected in the water: "later is now' and 'now was laterWith this artwork, Van Bemmel also wanted to create a "mirror of the future." The lines of text are a play on words, each containing four words that connect the present, past, and future. People walking along the canal can regularly check whether the texts are visible in the water reflection that day, depending on the weather. The concept of a "mirror of the past" immediately raised a question for the Rotterdam artist Van Bemmel. Why refer to the history of the canals when it is so palpably present? With its old houses and large trees, it seems as if the area has always been this way. But upon closer inspection, much has indeed changed. Many buildings have been added, the water basins have been relocated, and traffic has increased. Thus, the canal itself is a kind of distorted mirror of the past, creating a yearning to walk right through it, right into that bygone era. But to what extent is such a "mirror" reality? To what extent is the image we have of the past accurate? Van Bemmel's work is not unique. The canals were renovated according to the original design by the 19th-century city architect Willem Nicolaas Rose (1801-1877), and art was given an important role in this. The former district of Noord approached CBK Rotterdam for this major renovation project of the various canals and commissioned an art plan; this was Visual Arts and the Rotterdam Canal Families by Han Goan Lim and Albert Kliest. Based on this, several art commissions were announced, including Lake Bermuda by Susanne Kriemann and a seating area and blue bridge by Jeroen Doorenweerd on the Bergsingel and Noordsingel. Works of art have also been placed on the Spoorsingel and Provenierssingel, such as In the city / The young man on the island from Henk Visch, A swan in the distance from Klaas Gubbels and Kryptonian Ice Lake by Guido Marsille and Onno Poiesz.
Marcelle van Bemmel (1948) prefers to use 'materials' that have no definable form, such as water, reflections, light and shadow, sound, but also time. Her commissioned work creates a relationship with the environment and the public, and often refers to the history of the place.
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