Er Gaat Niets Boven Groningen (G)

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Culture

Over 400 sculptures and other works of art are located in the streets within the city limits, some new, others many years old.

Rem Koolhaas Urinal

Urinating against a work of art? This is possible and allowed in Groningen. On the Kleine der A, an artistic urinal was designed for this purpose. Men are strongly advised to relieve themselves in this work of art by one of the world’s best architects, Rem Koolhaas, who designed the object, and the photographer Erwin Olaf, who executed the decorations. This urinal, made of milk glass, was designed on the occasion of “A Star is Born” (cultural manifestation 1996).

Het peerd van ome Loeks (Uncle Loeks' horse)

Temporarily removed due to the renovation of the main station square, it will be back next year: het Peerd van ome Loeks. The white statue, depicting a horse and its owner, was created in 1959 and refers to the popular Groningen folk song “Het peerd van ome Loeks is dood” (uncle Loeks’ horse died). It was made by Jan de Baat and is the city’s best-known statue.

U L T R A

This work of art by Silvia B. is brand new: it was placed at the Emmasingel in front of the Cascade building in October 2004. The sculpture is about eight metres high and depicts a woman who appears to be the example of beauty but upon closer consideration shows defects.

Sculpture by Josef Israëls

The painter Jozef Israëls (1824-1911) was born in Groningen, and is one of the best-known painters from The Hague School. His painting, titled “Langs moeders graf” (passing mother’s grave), was the source of inspiration for a sculpture on the Hereplein depicting a fisherman with his son and daughter. It dates from 1922 and was created by Abraham Hesselink.

Arable farming and stockbreeding

This statue by Wladimir de Vries depicting the “stedenmaagd” (city virgin) holding an ear of corn in her hand and one foot on a calf lying down fell on stony ground with many city folks when it was placed at the Herebrug in 1953: the girl wore insufficient clothing, her legs were too fat, and her breasts too small. Yet the statue has survived and still keeps its place; some Groningen people now call it “Blote Bet” (bare Bet).

Guyot Monument

The monument on the Guyotplein square is the oldest in the city, dating from 1829. Charles and Jean Francois Sigault created this monument for Henri Daniël Guyot, the founder of the institute for the deaf that was located on the Guyotplein from 1807 until 1984.