Ad Schouten Future (2011)

The idea for a work of art at the Slinge and Langenhorst roundabout was conceived at the initiative of the late Jan Franken (a former employee of Vestia Rotterdam-Zuid). Using banisters from the now-demolished Hoge Burgen apartment buildings, Jan Franken wanted to create a new sculpture themed "Future'. Through the use of the old banisters, the artwork carries a symbolism of the demolished apartment buildings: the old is reconstructed into something new. A transformation that applies to Zuidwijk and the urban renewal of the neighborhood, in which the street pattern has been left virtually intact. The design is new, but respectful and in keeping with the Zuidwijk garden city. The material used for the artwork symbolizes this transformation. The artwork's structure refers to constructivism: an art movement around the First World War whose exponents included Tatlin, Lissitzky, and Gabo. This movement, through the Bauhaus and De Stijl, was of great significance and influence for the architects of the Nieuwe Bouwen (New Building) movement, such as Brinkman and Van der Vlugt, Oud, Rietveld, and Willem van Tijen. They all championed radical urban renewal between the 20s and the 60s. They were the ones who later built the post-war new residential neighborhoods of Pendrecht and Zuidwijk. This way, the ideological heritage, the spirit of Zuidwijk, is enshrined in the artwork. The artwork was created by Ad Schouten with the help of students from Albeda College, who welded the sculpture together. Their efforts contribute not only to the future of the neighborhood, but also to the future of these students. The artwork was unveiled on September 23, 2011.