Poseidon (1989) Tom Waakop Reijers
In 1989, the Municipality of Rotterdam received a gift in the form of a statue of a seated person Poseidon with staff. Several parties have made this possible: a Residents Committee and Wijkbelangen Scheepvaartkwartier / Het Nieuwe Werk. Donations from the business community made it possible to finance the image. The choice for Poseidon refers to the water and the port of Rotterdam. Poseidon as an almighty Greek god, artist Tom Waakop Reijers has become an elegant figure who does not carry many of his traditional accessories. No nymphs, crown or trident - just a single staff, on which the god leans, seated on a small rock, imaginary protruding above waves (in this case, the wharf). The image has two colors. The rock is carved out of black granite and Poseidon itself is made of bronze that turned green with an artificial patina. The area was redesigned in 2010 - 2011. A recreational jetty has been installed and the quay has been renewed. Poseidon is now in a walking area on a renewed flat quay, still looking at the water. Sat during the spring tide in December 2018 Poseidon briefly in the water.
Tom Waakop Reijers (Rotterdam, 1948) is a figurative sculptor of human and animal figures. The materials he used are wood, bronze, brass and weathering steel. He is the designer of the Rotterdam Bokelpenning: a medal that has been awarded annually since 1994 to persons who have made a special contribution to the former Noord borough. The artist lives and works in Rotterdam. He is best known for his statues of Joop Zoetemelk (1986) and Coen Moulijn (2009).