On the roof of the AIVD suddenly sits a kind of knight with very large, yellow legs. You can already see the claws from afar when you drive on or along the Europaweg. Why is that man in armor sitting there and what does it mean? We’re going to investigate.
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The man in a knight’s suit turns out to be a guard. The man with the yellow legs is a work of art called De Wachter. If you go through the tunnel under the building, the guard will keep a close eye on you. Just look up when you walk or cycle there.
Read the article further below the photo:
The artwork explained
The artwork was commissioned by the AIVD by artist Anne de Vries. In a news item of the AIVD she says: “De Wachter tries to show our national self-image in a contemporary visual way, and at the same time also show the changeability of ourselves and that of the world around us.” According to her, the heraldry of the Netherlands states that the golden lion is a symbol of strength, power and pride. “In our current world, such an unambiguous self-image is no longer self-evident.”
Art at the national government The renovation of the AIVD building took a long time. The artwork has now been placed on the renovated part. The national government spends a certain budget on art in or near government buildings. This also applies to the renovated AIVD building.