The ‘maawmuur’ on Willemsplein in Tilburg is moving. Miranda Poel’s steel artwork must make way for the new city forum. The operation started on Wednesday. The maaw wall must be sawn into three pieces before it can be transported.
The wall was designed by Tilburg artist Miranda Poels, in collaboration with architect Ad Roefs. The artwork was placed in 2012. For a moment it seemed that the maawmuur could stay on Willemsplein, but in a different place on the square. With the arrival of the brand new city forum, that won’t work. “The city forum is precisely a square with trees and cultural activities. Here the artwork gets in the way and it no longer comes into its own,” says Grashoff.
Forty meters long
Poel and Grashoff therefore set the grinding wheels in the metal on Wednesday. The maaw wall must be moved in three parts. That’s quite an operation. “It can only be transported in three pieces, because it is forty meters long. We do not have such large trucks.”
On Thursday, the three parts will therefore be placed on a huge low-loader with a crane to be transported to Esbeek. The artwork is temporarily stored there. “But he will return to a beautiful place in the city,” Grashoff assures.
New location
The alderman hopes to announce where the maaw wall will eventually end up before the summer. “What this work of art needs is that you can view it from a distance. In that respect it has never looked very good here,” says Grashoff. He is referring to the bicycle garage on one side of the wall and the busy road on the other side. In consultation with Poel, a city-wide search is underway for a new location.