Cageman reflects on vulnerability and the need for self-protection. The cage becomes both shelter and boundary, guarding the heart while still allowing contact with the outside world.
Cageman reflects on vulnerability and the need for self-protection. The sculpture consists of two human legs carrying a torso shaped like a cage. Inside the cage is a small oval form, a recurring element in Van den Berg’s work, here suggesting the heart.
The head is absent. The work is not concerned with rational thought, but with feeling, exposure, and inner life. The cage protects what is vulnerable, yet it is not entirely closed. It becomes both shelter and boundary: a structure that guards the heart while still allowing contact with the outside world.