Ad Schouten Future (2011)

On the initiative of the late Jan Franken (former employee of Vestia Rotterdam South), the idea was born for a work of art on the Slinge / Langenhorst roundabout. Jan Franken wanted to use the banisters from the Hoge Burgen flats that have now been demolished to create a new image with the theme 'Future'. By using the old banisters, the artwork carries a symbolism from the demolished Burgen: the old is constructed into something new. A transformation that applies to Zuidwijk and the urban renewal of the district, whereby the street pattern has been left virtually intact. The interpretation is new, but with respect and in line with the garden city of Zuidwijk. The material used for the artwork symbolizes this transformation. The structure of the artwork refers to Constructivism: an art movement around the First World War with exponents Tatlin, Lissitzky and Gabo. Through the Bauhaus and the Style, this movement has been of great significance and influence for the architects of the Nieuwe Bouwen, such as Brinkman and Van der Vlugt, Oud, Rietveld and Willem van Tijen. They all stood for radical urban renewal in the 20s and 60s. It was they who later built the post-war new housing estates Pendrecht and Zuidwijk. This means that the ideal heritage, the ideology of Zuidwijk, is anchored in the artwork. The artwork was realized by Ad Schouten with the efforts of the students of the Albeda College, who welded the sculpture together. Thanks to their efforts, they not only work on the future of the neighborhood, but also on the future of these students. The artwork was unveiled on September 23, 2011.