On the roundabout at Seineweg and Radarweg, at the edge of Nieuw-West where city and harbour meet, lies All Aboard, a new artwork by Hans van Bentem. A fishing boat, repurposed as a monument. Its hull is filled with ceramics, glass and steel – a collection of objects that refer to the transformation of the harbour area into a modern residential and working district. At night, the work transforms: light filters through the glass forms, the ship begins to glow.
Van Bentem on his work: “The sculpture refers to maritime imagery, contemporary society and the current geopolitical situation. Where we once believed in unstoppable progress for all and a globalised world economy, it seems there is now sand in the engine. I was inspired by the story of ‘The Ship of Fools’. The work symbolises a ship without a captain, a rudderless society. It’s time for action, all hands on deck: all aboard.”
