Jericho

2007, Collection museum Voorlinden

On the Voorlinden estate you can find two towers by Anselm Kiefer of 15 and 17.5 metres high. As a child, the German artist built towers with debris he found in rubble. He made these towers with blocks of reinforced concrete. Between the different parts and on top of one tower, he placed stacks of books. A ship balances on the other tower. The title refers to Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, whose fall and rebuilding is described in the Bible. Biblical stories, as well as themes of destruction and rebuilding, recur often in Kiefer’s work. The artist sees a certain beauty in ruins: ‘To me, they do not represent an end, but offer hope for a new beginning.’

Editorial Note: to Sander, Jasper and Frans they also offered a nice opportunity for a field trip last December!

Photo: Sander Groen

Photo: Frans de Winter

Photo: Twan Thio

Photo: Jasper Arts

Photo: Jasper Arts