About the Artwork

Untitled by André Volten is placed in front of the Stopera, at Waterlooplein. The work consists of 48 segments of pink granite, which form a circle. The granite is imported from Portugal and chosen specifically to blend in with the stones on the streets of Amsterdam. In addition, the material is sustainable in the long run and difficult to damage. The work was made in response to an open call from the municipality to accompany the new building on the square, which houses the opera theatre and the town hall. Volten’s submission was selected from 24 others and realised in situ.

Volten’s work uses elementary forms, such as the circle, cube and cylinder. They are common forms, and Volten argues that due to this, his work is accepted by everyone. The used shapes are simple and not symbolic. Rather, they refer to the spatial environment in which they are placed. Volten’s work does not disturb the space but rather takes part in the already established infrastructure. The simplicity of Volten’s work strongly relates to British minimal art, which spread to the Netherlands in the 1960s.
 
Half of the circle, placed near the Stopera, is sunk half a meter below the street level, while the other half rises above on the side of the Amstel. The diameter of the inner circle measures 15 metres. Due to the tilt in the work, it is not simply a circle, but rather an ellipse. Volten intended to keep his work for the square as flat as possible and he stated in a newspaper article (Open cirkel van roze graniet: een veilig rustpunt op het plein) in Het Parool in the year of construction, 1986, that “The more horizontal you keep it, the bigger the square looks. And the prettier.” 
 

Volten stated that the square was busy, for instance due to weddings, workers, visitors of the opera and important foreign guests. This is why Volten intended to create this work for pedestrians, as a safe circle that could be used as a type of arena. This arena, he envisioned, could be used for public theatre, offering petitions to the municipality, but also as a meeting point.


On the intention behind the work, Volten stated in the previously mentioned newspaper article in Het Parool that:
 

He chose this specific place for the work because he believed big building complexes like the Stadhuis/Stopera should have a square in front of them. The form he chose because of its simplicity and its strong shape. While some wanted water and a fountain at the square, Volten believed the Amstel already provided plenty of water in the area and valued silence and space instead. He emphasized he wanted it to be a silent place, with enough room for happenings to emerge.