Sculpture International Rotterdam

Organisation

Collection

Program

MAP

← Tor und Stele De Voetballer →

Corporate Entity

Corporate Entity, fotografie: Jannes Linders

The Sculpture

Upon its completion in 1963 Corporate Entity by Wessel Couzijn was the largest bronze sculpture cast in the Netherlands. Unilever commissioned the sculpture for its new office building on the Burgemeester s’ Jacobplein.

Wishing to introduce a contrasting element to its geometric building Unilever asked Couzijn to design a dynamic freestanding monumental sculpture. Neither the architect nor the client gave Couzijn a brief, so that he was able to work in complete artistic freedom.

Couzijn chose for a sculpture with a strong horizontal stress to contrast with the verticality of the building. The sculpture was to be placed in a pond so that it was reflected in the water. Couzijn wanted to sculpture to be placed loose in the water but the client was afraid of damage in windy weather. It was decided to attach the 20,000 kilo bronze colossus to the wall between the entrance and the pond.

Corporate Entity is built up of three main segments placed alongside one another, overlapping at several points. The main forms are whimsical elements that fan out in all directions suggesting a fragmented whole. The overlaps strengthen the cohesion and the expressive character of the main figures and the colour contributes to the sculpture’s dramatic power. Couzijn asked the foundry to use a special bronze alloy with 96% copper so that the surface would quickly develop a green patina.

There has been much speculation about the sculpture’s title, which has been said to imply an ‘embodiment of the unity within a large corporation’ and ‘a criticism of the power of multinationals’.

Specifications

nicknames	The junkyard
date construction	1963
location since	1992, Weena, C.S kwartier, City Center
dimensions sculpture (hxwxl) in cm	627 x 800 x 1354 cm. (18.000 kilo) 627 x 800 x 1354 (18.000 kilo)
material	Bronze