Piet van Stuivenberg Untitled (1950)

This sculpture by sculptor Piet van Stuivenberg was commissioned by the Rotterdam Art Foundation after World War II and unveiled during "Opbouwdag" (Reconstruction Day) on May 19, 1950. The sculpture is connected to the reconstruction period and stood on the Weena at the entrance to the Bouwcentrum (Building Centre). This organization aimed to unite construction and housing in and outside the Netherlands to create a better environment for people and society. This sculpture was the first abstract sculpture to be installed in Rotterdam, marking the beginning of the government's deliberate involvement with art in public spaces. The sculpture is composed of five stacked, fanning shapes and carved from a single block of bluestone. Van Stuivenberg created the sculpture during a period when he was experimenting with abstract forms. He constructed it from free-form, organic shapes, which he appropriately drew from the reconstruction period: the shapes were inspired by the spiral staircase located in the Bouwcentrum. It's a sculpture that fits into the tradition of 20th-century sculpture. The work was placed on a temporary pedestal at the Gedempte Zalmhaven, but due to the construction of the Zalmhaven Tower, it was put into storage. A new location for the sculpture is being sought at its original location, the Bouwcentrum (Building Centre).