Green Giant a.k.a. Swamp Thing

During the Wereld van de Witte de With festival in 2008, Hans van Bentem surprised audiences with his impressive creation Green Giant a.k.a. Swamp Thing. This eight-meter-tall swamp creature, constructed from steel pipes and camouflage nets, emerged from one of Rotterdam’s canals — a powerful, visually overwhelming response to the festival’s theme, “Green.”

Instead of presenting the cliché image of nature as gentle and calming, Van Bentem chose a menacing and ambiguous figure — a creature that is both dangerous and moving, both a cry for help and an indictment of human hypocrisy. With Swamp Thing, he prompted the audience to reflect on how we approach sustainability, ecology, and environmental awareness — themes often treated with great conviction yet equal superficiality.

The work stood as a temporary monument in the public space of the Witte de Withstraat, playing with scale, material, and context to generate maximum impact. Mothership produced the project in collaboration with September in Rotterdam (Rotterdam Festivals).