Exposure, Steel sculpture in Lelystad, Netherlands.
Exposure is a 26-meter-tall steel structure shaped like a crouching human figure, positioned on the Houtribdijk dam between two large lakes. The construction consists of 5000 components connected by 14284 bolts, weighing a total of 60 tons.
British artist Antony Gormley designed and created this massive installation between 2008 and 2010 in collaboration with Scottish engineering firm Had-Fab Ltd. The work emerged during a period when Flevoland province was establishing itself as a major venue for large-scale land art.
The figure embodies the relationship between human presence and surrounding landscape, which visitors feel directly when approaching the dam. It stands as part of a series of land art installations in the region that explore how people connect with nature.
The work is easily accessible from the Houtribdijk and is best explored at different times of day to fully experience its changing appearance. The dam pathway is open and mostly flat, though it works best for walking during dry weather conditions.
The work shifts dramatically in visual appearance as you approach it, transforming from a recognizable human form into an abstract geometric pattern. This optical effect is created by the specific arrangement of steel components and is most striking when viewed from different distances.
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