Score for a podcast by Jan Konings and Kim Bouvy
There is no city in the Netherlands with as much visual art in public spaces as Rotterdam: an indirect consequence of the devastating bombing on May 14, 1940. During the reconstruction, hundreds of new artworks were placed throughout the city to commemorate, fill the emptiness, and give the future a new face. One object that survived the bombing—a gigantic façade stone at the Bijenkorf by architect Dudok on the Coolsingel—was lost from sight after the building's demolition in 1960. However, more than forty years later, the stone was rediscovered on an industrial estate in Woerden. A remarkable journey back to Rotterdam followed, during which this silent witness of a vanished city took on new meanings along the way.
Listen here
Concept, composition, and editing: Jan Konings, Kim Bouvy, Femke Bosma
Montage, mixing, and sound design: Femke Bosma
Production: Kim Bouvy
Advisory: Jennifer Pettersson
Music: Rutger Zuydervelt/Machinefabriek
Location recordings: Operator Z-Files #31: The Bijenkorf Stone was commissioned by Beeldende Kunst & Openbare Ruimte (BKOR) and Sculpture International Rotterdam (SIR), programs of CBK Rotterdam.
About Z-Files – Art and the City
The Z-Files program by BKOR and SIR focuses on art and public space. Through lectures, presentations, films, excursions, and now also a podcast, CBK Rotterdam aims to highlight the unique collection of artworks in the public spaces of Rotterdam and engage in discussions about current developments.