De muur, Steel sculpture in Amsterdam-Noord, Netherlands.
De Muur is a large red steel sculpture standing in a grassy field near the water in Amsterdam-Noord. Its smooth, rounded surface has many round holes and long slots, making it look different from the straight lines of surrounding buildings.
Alfred Eikelenboom made this piece between 1984 and 1986, and it was installed on this spot in 1987. It belongs to his Utopian Models series, which started in 1969 as a reaction against the simple cube shapes often used in architecture.
Local residents have given the piece several nicknames over the years, including Klaagmuur, meaning Complaint Wall, and De Rode Matras, or The Red Mattress. These names reflect the mixed feelings people in the neighborhood have had about the artwork and its place in their daily view.
You can walk all the way around the sculpture to see how its shape changes from different angles. The nearby paths make it easy to approach, though the grass can be soft after rain, so sturdy shoes help.
The sculpture quietly echoes the shipyard that once stood nearby, with its curved hull-like form and porthole-shaped openings. Eikelenboom even joked that it might become the Eiffel Tower of Amsterdam-Noord, a playful hope that hints at his own affection for the piece.
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