De Ontknopping

In Middelburg-Zuid, a striking sculpture was created as part of the Kunst in de Wijken (“Art in the Neighborhoods”) program. Residents of the district selected the final design from three proposals. Their choice fell on Atelier Van Lieshout, who drew inspiration from the character of this oldest suburban area of the city. The result was De Ontknopping — a four-meter-tall tree sculpture with a gnarled, weathered trunk and colorful, glossy spheres adorning the ends of its branches.

The tree symbolizes the neighborhood itself: full of character, vibrant, and resilient in its growth over time. Installed in 2010 on Zacharias Jansenstraat in Middelburg, the artwork was commissioned by De Vleeshal / SBKM. Mothership was responsible for the production and coordination of the project.