Untitled (1968) Johan van Reede
In Beurs metro station on the end wall on the Coolsingel and Blaak side, a kinetic work by artist Johan van Reede has been applied in 1968. The work consists of a composition of metal form elements. It is behind glass and in front of a dark gray concrete wall. The composition includes a back plan of partly overlaid diagonal lines or blank aluminum grids and a front plan with wider, black lines. The distance between these two layers creates an impression of movement as the wall passes. Moreover, the composition was illuminated from the sides with artificial light that moved according to a simple program. On the other side of the underpass there is another work of art from the RET, namely The Welder by Henk de Vos.
During the war, monumental artist Johan van Reede (Rotterdam, 1921 - 2016) switched from part-time lessons to full-time art training at the academy in Rotterdam, together with Kees Frans. After the war he became very active in the reconstruction of Rotterdam: he was a sculptor, graphic artist, monumental wall painter and made mosaics. He made a mural in the former Dijkzigt hospital, a mosaic relief in the Groothandelsgebouw, a kinetic-looking abstract work in the Beurs metro station on the end wall on the Coolsingel / Blaak side, and a mosaic of athletes in Hoogvliet. His fame has largely been limited to Rotterdam.