Untitled (1977) Loeki Metz
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the stevedoring company Heinrich Hanno & Co, artist Loeki Metz was commissioned to create a facade relief. The work of art reflects the activities of the now bankrupt company, which operated in the port with chartering, forwarding activities and cargo control as its main activities. The artist is just as Rotterdam as her client, and so is the theme of the relief: the canal, the harbor, is typical for the port city. The world's seas are reduced to an abstract form, with a classic sailing ship in the middle - trade and shipping as the center of the globe. On the website of Platform Reconstruction Rotterdam can read more about the building and the artwork.
Louise Estelle Julie, or Loeki Metz (Amsterdam, 1918 - Rotterdam, 2004) was a sculptor and medalist. She mainly worked with bronze, wood and silver and made project art and idea art. Her style was impressionistic and figurative. She was friends with Mari Andriessen and spent a long time in Amsterdam, The Hague, Paris and Rotterdam. Her education was at the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam. Metz is best known for its reliefs and tokens.