Seven Beacon

In one of the bends of Polaris Avenue that meanders through the office area near Schiphol, Beukenhorst-Oost, we see the seven needle-like shapes in the pond. The shortest one extends two and a half meters above the water level, the longest more than nine meters. The wooden needles sway peacefully in the wind. Although the image of the float will predominate for most viewers, the color, motif, composition and movement of the artwork create an almost endless wealth of connections.

"When issuing the contract, the municipality used the image of a wheel without a hub as a symbol for the dynamics of the area. That formed the background of my idea. When a fisherman casts his fishing rod, circles are created that slowly expand and disappear. Like the hub of a wheel, the float is in the center of the circles. It is the fisherman's anchor and it tells him what is happening underwater.

In a broader context, you could say that Schiphol Airport is also a kind of beacon for the companies that have established themselves in Beukenhorst-Oost. From there they have their world relations. In the different color shades you can see the representation of different companies and cultures. One float may be associated with a Venetian mooring post, the other with an electronic resistor, where the colors ascribe certain functions.

For people who sit on the steps by the pond during their lunch break, the objects can work as meditative landmarks. The image of a float is very evocative, because there is usually as much under water as there is above water. If you say thank you that the longest one would be nine meters under water, look for even deeper…"

The Seven Beacons are among the largest sculptures that Peter Schoutsen made. But his fascination with the secret, the relationship between the visible and the invisible, to which this work testifies, can also be found in many smaller objects by his hand. 

Yvonne van Osch and Marjon Woudstra