American artist George Rickey created kinetic art: artworks that change through movement. No fewer than two of these moving sculptures are located in Rotterdam's city center. The well-known work Two Turning Vertical Rectangles One of them, located on Binnenwegplein, moves in the wind. Rickey became fascinated by constructivist sculpture, a movement in which construction plays a central role. Rickey was also interested in the art of De Stijl and the Bauhaus. In the 1950s, these artists created stainless steel structures that alternated between flat and linear components. In the 1960s, Rickey built his sculptures from forms that he repeatedly repeated. Two Turning Vertical Rectangles consists of two identical, solid, flat elements and is characteristic of his working method in the late 1960s. In 1964, Rickey was asked by the City Beautification Committee to design an alternative for the fountain on Hofplein. This construction would have been twenty meters high with eight identical, moving, flat elements, crowned by a kinetic object. Ultimately, it was not built because the new foundation for the Hofplein fountain proved too expensive. In 1969, Rickey exhibited a scale model of this design at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum. The design was rejected by the municipal executive, but in 1970, the shopkeepers' association, Stichting Binnenwegplein, decided to present the city with a work of art to commemorate the new Binnenwegplein, and Rickey was invited to create a sculpture. Two Turning Vertical Rectangles was unveiled on May 7, 1971. The artwork has become a beloved eye-catcher on Binnenwegplein. In 2012, it had to be temporarily removed due to the square's redevelopment. Due to the raised paving, the sculpture could not be replaced because the rotating metal plates could potentially hit people. Furthermore, the wind drift on the square had changed due to new high-rise buildings, making the kinetic sculpture unsafe to operate. After investigation, the solution was to raise the pole and weigh down the blades. From April 2015, the work could be admired again in the city center, but unfortunately for a short time. At the end of November, the wings were severely damaged by an unknown cause and had to be removed again. The blades were repaired, but before they could be replaced, safety measures had to be implemented to prevent further damage. Bollards have now been installed to prevent trucks from hitting them. Two Turning Vertical Rectangles can be admired again since September 8, 2020. For more information: Sculpture International Rotterdam of Platform Reconstruction Rotterdam.
