Maastunnel

Until September 4, 2017, an exhibition by visual artist Michael Bom can be seen in the Maastunnel kiosks - next to the entrances to the escalator buildings. He shows various paintings, sculptures, assemblages, photos and an optical light machine from his project about the Maastunnel. The exhibition is visible 24/7, both inside and out.

Michael Bom
Bom prefers to work with found and existing images and materials. By taking these out of context and placing them in unexpected new ones, he creates alienating works that are nevertheless recognizable. As a resident of the city and a lover of modernist architecture, he came into contact with the Maas tunnel. This enormous structure, which is an important connection between the southern and northern banks of the city, became his new source of inspiration. Michael Bom wants to create poetry with his works and at the same time evoke a certain mystery.

The Maas tunnel
The Maas tunnel has come to 1942. With a length of one kilometer, the Maas tunnel is a colossal structure, the majority of which disappears invisibly under the mesh. Michael Bom sees the Maas tunnel almost as a living organism, as a personality.

The ventilation buildings, which provide air exchange for the tunnel, are unknown to most people. These beautiful buildings, located next to the entrance to the bicycle and pedestrian tunnel, can be found in a number of Bom's works. An opportunity to view these buildings from the inside resulted in a number of special photos. Three photos of this can be seen in the kiosk on the north side. His photos show a picturesque, tranquil atmosphere, as if time has stood still.

Optical light machine
For the Maas Tunnel project, Bom developed an illuminated optical machine with which the viewer experiences the Maas Tunnel in a surrealistic way through moving images.

Michael Bom received a financial contribution from CBK Rotterdam for this project.
read more