Cascade
Cascade: Van Lieshout’s oil drum sculpture
Cascade is a striking eight-metre-high sculpture created by Rotterdam artist Joep van Lieshout. The artwork consists of a tower of eighteen oil drums from which human figures emerge, appearing to climb, fall and merge into one another.
The bodies and barrels form a mass that seems to flow downwards like oil, creating one of the most unusual contemporary sculptures in the centre of Rotterdam.
Van Lieshout was inspired by monumental European columns erected to commemorate historical events, including the famous Pestsäule in Vienna, built following a major plague epidemic.
The meaning of Cascade
In Cascade, Van Lieshout uses oil drums as a reference to Rotterdam and its close relationship with the port, industry and international trade.
The artwork can also be interpreted as a reflection on our dependence on oil, the depletion of natural resources and the fragility of consumer society.
This meaning was particularly relevant because the sculpture was created during a period marked by the international economic crisis.
A sculpture in the heart of Rotterdam
The location of Cascade reinforces the message of the artwork. The sculpture stands in the centre of Rotterdam, close to the intersection of Coolsingel and Blaak, one of the city’s main commercial and financial areas.
It is made of dark green polyester and stands on a pedestal.
In 2010, the sculpture was transported by boat to Leuvehaven, symbolically following a similar route to the one used decades earlier to bring Naum Gabo’s famous sculpture to Rotterdam, located beside the former De Bijenkorf building.
Joep van Lieshout
Joep van Lieshout is one of the best-known contemporary artists associated with Rotterdam. His work combines art, design and architecture and frequently explores themes related to society, industry, politics and human behaviour.
Cascade is one of his most visible works in Rotterdam’s public spaces and forms part of the city’s extensive collection of sculptures and artworks that can be discovered while walking through its streets.
Cascade: practical information
| ℹ️ QUICK INFORMATION | |
|---|---|
| 🎨 Artwork | Cascade |
| 👨🎨 Artist | Joep van Lieshout |
| 📅 Year | 2010 |
| 📏 Height | 8 metres |
| 🛢️ Design | 18 oil drums and human figures |
| 📍 Location | Central Rotterdam, near Coolsingel and Blaak |
| 💶 Admission | Free |
Other sculptures in Rotterdam
De Boeg | Delftsche Poort | Erasmus | Everybody is dead but us | Gevallenen | Maasbeeld | Marathonbeeld | Marten Toonder | Santa Claus | Slavernij Monument | Sylvette | Untitled | Verwoeste Stad | Westersingel