Betonplastiek 

Joseph Ongenae

At Sportpark Sloten, a striking concrete artwork by Joseph Ongenae (1921–1993) stands tall, blending red, yellow, white, and black into a three-dimensional composition that clearly reflects the artist’s inspiration. 

Ongenae was a self-taught artist with an adventurous spirit. His journey led him through Paris—where he studied with masters such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque—before settling permanently in Amsterdam. There, he became a prominent figure in public art, known for projects like the colorful transformation of the Grote and Kleine Verfdoos in Nieuw-West and the Warnersblokken in Zuid, bringing vibrancy and life to public spaces. 

Image: Ongenae from 1973 at the Sloten sports park” by BonstraGeert, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.