About Xavier Veilhan

The sculpture ‘Hendrik Petrus Berlage’ by the French artist Veilhan is a tribute to the Dutch architect Berlage. Berlage is often considered the father of modern architecture in the Netherlands. In 1917 he designed the southern extension of the city of Amsterdam, the so-called Plan Zuid. ARTZUID takes place on the axis structure of this Plan Zuid.

Xavier Veilhan is fascinated by architecture, music and human figures and likes to mix traditional techniques with modern technology. He did the same with this sculpture. The starting point for the bronze bust was an existing photo of Berlage drawing. An actor in similar clothing assumed Berlage’s pose and Veilhan made a 3D scan of it. The model of this scan was then milled out of wood by machine and cast in bronze. Veilhan says about the sculpture: “The shape of this sculpture stems from the building’s surroundings, activities and the people. It is about architecture, urban development and a building where people come to work.”