On the Weenapoint building on Kruisplein, where you might normally expect a street sign, hung a work by Mark Manders. Three rodents, more archetypal rodents, hung by their tails, clinging to a wooden beam. This beam, like the animals themselves, is made of bronze, but painted with a wood grain and color. The sculpture was a permanent part of a multi-faceted project. In the week of the sculpture's unveiling, Manders published a newspaper that was distributed door-to-door. Besides several poems, the newspaper primarily contained photographic prints. These depicted the rodents at Kruisplein and were interspersed with prints of temporary interventions Manders had made in public spaces. It also included portraits of Angus Taggart, a fifteen-year-old British man photographed by the artist because his face had a multicultural appearance. The newspaper offered a glimpse into this boy's inner world and suggested that the sculpture originated from him. Angus served as an alter ego for Manders. The artist Mark Manders, who exists only in an artificial world, is in turn an alter ego for the person Mark Manders. The work was removed in 2009 due to the restructuring of the station area and the redevelopment of the Weenapoint building. The 'Ratjes', as the work is popularly called, are stored in the depot and are awaiting a new location. For more information: Sculpture International Rotterdam.
