Getijden Baken

Getijden Baken is a monumental artwork by Yasser Ballemans, designed for the Wervenpark in Dordrecht — a place where river, tides, nature, and industrial heritage converge. The work marks a central spot in the future tidal park, serving both as a visual landmark on the waterfront and as a meeting place for residents and visitors.

The sculpture is composed of interwoven steel beams — a reference to traditional weaving techniques using reed and willow, symbolizing collaboration and unity in the ongoing struggle against water. Its open, transparent structure frames the sky and allows light to pass through. The entire form appears to cling like a climbing plant to the old concrete crane track that extends into the water.

At the heart of the work lies a fire pit, where residents can gather under the open sky. In this way, the elements of earth, water, air, and fire are united in one place: earth in the park’s vegetation, water in the tides and the river, air through the open structure, and fire as the social and ritual centerpiece. The artwork offers views of both the water and the site’s industrial past.

In collaboration with materials company Bolidt, a transparent amber-colored plastic bench is being developed, embedding metal leaf motifs — a subtle reference to the local vegetation. The combination of steel, plastic, and fire makes the work not only robust and low-maintenance but also poetic and multilayered.

Getijden Baken is a contemporary ritual object, firmly rooted in the history and nature of Dordrecht — a landmark where people and landscape, past and future, come together around the fire.