Nuclear Wind

Willem Lenssinck

This sculpture addresses the threat of nuclear weapons in the Netherlands during the 1980s. 'Ban the Bomb' was a prominent theme in the Netherlands at the time. Simultaneously, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred, in which a reactor exploded during a test. Fortunately, the radiation did not spread westward. The wind was blowing north, towards Finland. In the Netherlands, as a precaution, people were advised not to eat locally grown spinach for a week. The sculpture also references a popular song by Jenny Arean and Frans Halsema: 'Flight is no longer possible. Wouldn't know how. Wouldn't know where to. How far must one go?' The ceramic model has been enlarged in polyethylene with a stainless steel subframe. The nuclear logo is featured in the wheel. Bronze would have made this sculpture too heavy and costly, hence the choice of this material.

61 x 23 cm /

ceramics

1977