Holland Pop monument (2013) John Blaak
In 1970 the Holland Pop Festival took place in the Kralingse Bos. This was the first major pop festival in the Netherlands. Viewed from the lakeside (with the Kralingse Plas in the back), the festival site is visible on the forest side. Artist John Blaak took the initiative for a memorial. It Holland Pop monument consists of a terrazzo seating element and a memorial plaque. On one side of the plate is a photo of the festival from 1970 made by Ton Schütz in the form of a tree. On the other hand, you see the poster designed by Jaap Jongert at the time. The monument was unveiled on 21 September 2013.
Sculptor and draftsman John Blaak (Rotterdam, 1953) has been active as an artist in Rotterdam since the early 1990s. He has worked on assignment in Kralingen-Crooswijk, where he is active. In addition to being an artist, he has been editor-in-chief of the magazine since 1997 Images Magazine. He exhibits his free work, large abstracted architectural-looking objects, at local exhibition spaces and he regularly curates exhibitions and art projects.