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Huge gatekeeper adorns square in front of new courthouse

Work on the construction of the new courthouse at Parnassusweg 280 is already in the advanced stages and hearings will begin there from 1 March 2021. For the new courthouse, American artist Nicole Eisenman has created the artwork ‘Love or Generosity’. It will have pride of place in the square at the entrance to the new courthouse from Friday, 27 November 2020. This public square, which has a central role to play in the area according to future plans for Zuidas, deserves a work of art that does justice to the building, the law, and the wider public.

The artwork ‘Love or Generosity’

‘Love or Generosity’

The artwork ‘Love or Generosity’ depicts a gatekeeper for the court: not a guard, but a mild-mannered person offering relaxation and consolation. At a height of more than 5 metres, it is a good match for the new courthouse building that has ten floors. Despite its height, the friendly attitude of the ‘gatekeeper’ ensures that the figure is not scary, but actually draws people in and sparks curiosity.

Detail

Art for the new courthouse

It is no coincidence that this artwork is here. The art for the new courthouse is all thanks to the so-called ‘percentage for art’ (‘percentageregeling beeldende kunst bij rijksgebouwen’). This regulation states that any new building, refurbishment, or purchase of government buildings by or on behalf of the Central Government Real Estate Agency (RVB) must also include a commission for art. Because of future developments in the area around the courthouse and Amsterdam Zuid station, we, together with the Amsterdam Art Fund, were involved in this choice.

During the assembly process

Nicole Eisenman

The creator of the artwork, Nicole Eisenman, is primarily known by the wider, (art-loving) public for her figurative paintings in which she applies a range of styles, from Renaissance painting to modern art. Since 2012, Eisenman has also worked as a sculptor and had presentations at Venice Biënnale, the Whitney Biennial, and elsewhere. Her work reflects current themes in contemporary society, which she approaches with humour and love.

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