TEXTWORKS AT BERGSINGEL ROTTERDAM

R’uit magazine, march 2005 by: Sandra Smets

From the start of this year two textworks by Marcelle van Bemmel can be seen in the campshedding of the Bergsingel . The assignment, to create a mirror of the past, caused a question with Van Bemmel. Why refer to the past when history is so palpable along this stately canal? With its old buildings and large trees it looks as if the area has been like that forever. But further investigation shows that much has changed indeed. Many buildings are of younger date, waterways have been shifted, and there is considerable more traffic than there used to be. So the boulevard itself has become a kind of deformed mirror of the past, and one is tempted to step through the looking glass into the good old times. To which extend is such a "mirror" reality? How far does our idea of the past relate to the truth? With her artworks Marcelle van Bemmel wanted to create a mirror of the future as well. She played a game with language and designed to texts of four words each, that bind past, present and future together. Each time people pass, they can look if the texts are readable in the water mirror that day, depending on the weather conditions. If not, they might have more luck the next day.