Jap Sam Books

Kunst bij Rijksgebouwen 2000-2003 | Art for Government Property 2000-2003

The visual arts projects commissioned by the Government Buildings Agency in the Netherlands are nothing if not diverse. This is above all the result of the specific situations that obtain when works of art are commissioned for specific public buildings.

This publication is a detailed and illustrated overview of all the art commissioned during 2000-2003 under the 'one per cent' rule (which states that at least one per cent of the construction budget for a public building must be earmarked for art). Between 2000-2003, 65 commissions were awarded to 97 artists, representing a total investment of EUR 5,559,470. This makes the Government Buildings Agency the Netherlands' biggest commissioning body for art in public spaces, and the recently completed and delivered works of art show that it gives this discipline the broadest possible interpretation, in line with the latest developments in contemporary art.

This publication clearly shows how the Government Buildings Agency tries to coordinate the art it has commissioned with the context of the user as well as with the architecture itself, a concern that has frequently resulted in both interesting and unconventional visual solutions. Because a large proportion of the art documented here is not accessible to the public, this publication provides a unique record of the art collection of public buildings. This publication covers more than 60 works of art that can be consulted through the index of artists, architects and buildings.