Gouda Sculpture

This work by Dutch sculptor, ceramic and textile artist Josje Smit was a gift from the city of Solingen to its sister city Gouda. As was particularly popular in 1970s architecture, Smit used washed concrete for her sculptures, which she shaped into abstract or figurative play equipment for children.
The Solingen sculpture consists of four concrete elements cast in the same abstract form with flat circles incorporated along the surface. The elements are combined to create a complex composition: One element stands in the center of the work with a second one on top of it that has been rotated 180 degrees; two additional forms have been added on either side of this centerpiece at 90 degree angles. With the identical individual elements installed next to and on top of each other, the structure is reminiscent of modular children’s playground equipment – although the individual modules are much more complex. In this way, new overlaps, forms, and structures can be seen depending on how you look at it.
For safety reasons, the sculpture may no longer be used as a plaything.