2 days Ago
A Legacy Built in Steel and Iron
Visser was never an artist who played it small. Working with industrial materials — iron, steel, concrete — he built large, commanding pieces that felt at home in public spaces just as much as in museums. His career carried significant weight internationally as well. He represented the Netherlands at the 1968 Venice Biennale and received the Heineken Prize for Art in 1992, one of the most prestigious art honors in the country.
Among the highlights on display is Jacob's Ladder, the tallest sculpture Visser ever made. Built from eight identical black-coated steel elements arranged in a stepped formation, it was originally installed in 1975 on Robert Kochplein in Utrecht. Getting to see it alongside other major works — many of which have rarely or never left their original locations — makes this a genuinely rare occasion.
Rediscovered Works and a Free Garden Show
Two particularly fascinating pieces in the exhibition are Signaal 1 and Signaal 2, created between 1963 and 1964. Standing roughly four to six meters tall, these sculptures once stood at the headquarters of the PTT's Postcheque and Giro Service in The Hague. When the building came down in 2000, the works vanished — only to be found years later at a transport company that had quietly taken them away. After restoration, they were installed in the Rijksmuseum gardens in 2024. Three of the works on display are public-space sculptures being shown together for the very first time.
The full exhibition runs from June 5 through October 25, and entry to the gardens is free. Beyond the 13 garden sculptures, the museum is presenting over 15 works in total, including loans from Dutch museums and private collections — making this one of the most comprehensive looks at Visser's work in recent memory.
