On June 7, a new artwork, Stoere Bloemen by Marieke Bolhuis, was unveiled in the Robert Scott neighborhood in Amsterdam West. The artwork along Erik de Roodestraat represents children, all different, with their energy and curiosity.
The sculpture group shows three child figures. They are playfully designed and their heads are flower buds. You can tell from their posture: they are young and uninhibited; not afraid of anything and yet sweet. They are painted with bright colors. Thus they represent the enormous wealth of diversity of the children of the Robert Scott neighborhood. The artist, Marieke Bolhuis, noticed the togetherness in the neighborhood, and the attention to children and their development. Not surprising, since the neighborhood was once built to house teachers and educators. She says, “It was striking, that everyone who talked about the project emphasized that the sculptures had to have something that made everyone appreciate them. The artist organized workshops with neighborhood children to find out what color schemes they liked best. The outer layer is full of recognizable motifs that stimulate the imagination. You see a goat, a camel, a tree of life, colorful dots and arabesques. Of course, the sculptures are not just for children. Marieke Bolhuis: “I hope adults look at them as something to be proud of. For they are the representation of the great richness of the neighborhood, and that is all the possibilities and diversity, all the energy and curiosity that are in the children of the Robert Scott neighborhood.’
