Diamond: The Valuable Tank, 2002
title: Fig. 050 "Diamond: The Valuable Tank"
material: JPEG size: a4 year: 2002
‘DIAMOND: The valuable TANK for Doggershoek, Den Helder, Holland.
What: Art commission for the Government Buildings Agency in the context of the 1% regulation. Where: Ax710 has been invited by the Government Buildings Agency to make a sketch design for an art interpretation in the new Youth Prison "The Doggershoek" in Den Helder. The building is elliptical, with around 12 courts in which the youth units' living units are located, consisting of 10 bedrooms and a shared living room. Large additional windows have been placed on the outside of the building for the windows of the rooms. Every 'hofje' becomes an "outdoor gallery" with 10 showcases each, per display case 2.50 m. high x 1.75 m. wide x 12 cm. deep. An 11th window niche in the building should reflect what can be seen outside in the courtyard. Ax710 was asked for a girls' pavilion. / Why: Invest the material budget in 10 diamonds. A diamond is placed in every window niche of the "cells". Every resident "got" her own unique diamond. The plan is simple, but has a deeper meaning and many layers. Ax710 wants to give the residents, in such an incredibly important period of their lives, the time of future plans and dreams a little more then just a nice picture.
* The diamond as a symbol of freedom and future sparkles. Nowadays the fire, the mystery, the magic, the beauty and the romance of a diamond express everything that the heart feels and what these words cannot express. Every diamond is unique and visualizes the uniqueness of every resident.
* Replace the value of the work of art with a visible value symbol like a diamond. Reversing the value of the artwork.
* Diamond as an investment. The stay of the youngsters in a government prison as an investment in society.
There are different values in the diamond context. Pure or piqué with gradations 1, 2 and 3. The choice was made for piqué 1. "Nobody is perfect". The symbolic value, the sparkle equal to the flawless diamond, but slightly damaged on the inside, not perceptible to the naked eye. The diamonds are placed in 100% wool knitted wall cloths, the display case as a jewelery box for a piece of jewelry. The diamonds have the 10 most popular girl names of that moment.
The agreement with the Government Buildings Agency is that when the artworks will be removed in 10 years, the payoff from the diamonds will go to the residents of the Doggershoek at that time.
With piqué 1 there is 'inclusions', usually a piece of carbon or fine cracks. They are difficult to see with the naked eye. These inclusions must not influence the sparkle of the stone. With piqué 2 there are larger and / or numerous inclusions that are visible to the naked eye. Generally, these inclusions, either by their shape or by their number, have a weak influence on the sparks. With piqué 3, all diamonds contain large inclusions, which are easy to see and which considerably reduce the sparkle of the stone due to their number and size.