Robert Morris: Observatorium (1977)

The Observatory was previously realized in Velsen in the frame of the large exhibition Sonsbeek Buiten de Perken (1971), but had to make way for a new construction project. In collaboration with the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, it was decided to recreate it in Lelystad, in the then vast, empty landscape. The artwork references prehistoric sites that were used for the observation of the sun and the planets, such as Stonehenge in England. Robert Morris’ Observatory consists of two concentric earthen ramparts. Three V-shaped incisions made in the circles offer a view on the polder landscape. At the beginning of spring and autumn, when day and night are equally long, the middle steel visor is perfectly aligned with the rising sun. The stone wedges on both sides are in turn aligned with the rising sun on June 21st and December 21st, the summer and winter solstices. Photo's: Jordi Huisman