Cascade

The sculpture Cascade by Van Lieshout stands at a height of eight meters and is made up of a stack of eighteen oil barrels. They are connected by human figures going up and down, forming a sticky mass like oil dripping from the barrels.

Van Lieshout took inspiration from the victory columns of the Pestsäule in Vienna. This monument celebrated the end of the major plague outbreak in 1693.

In Cascade, the artist uses oil barrels, which symbolize Rotterdam’s status as a global port city.

Van Lieshout’s sculpture gained significance as it was created during an economic crisis. It represents the exhaustion of natural resources and the collapse of consumer society. The sculpture is placed at the busy intersection of Coolsingel and Blaak, which is Rotterdam’s commercial and financial center.

Cascade is made of dark green polyester and is placed on top of a pedestal.

It was brought to the Leuvehaven quay by ship in 2010, following the footsteps of Naum Gabo’s sculpture “Untitled” which arrived at a similar location over fifty years ago.

Van Lieshout lives in Rotterdam and is known for his distinctive style. You can see some of his other artworks in this link.

Discover other sculptures in Rotterdam