Carel Visser places iron among the trees
Thirteen sculptures by Carel Visser stand in the Rijksmuseum Gardens until 25 October. The garden reveals how his rigorous forms look towards nature.
An unusual route through the Rijksmuseum Gardens passes thirteen monumental sculptures by Carel Visser this autumn. According to the museum, the exhibition runs from 5 June to 25 October 2026 and admission is free. On Tuesday 20 October, there is therefore only a short time left to see the works together.
Visser often chose steel and iron. A cutting torch and welding equipment helped him shape plates and beams into clear forms. Stacking, repetition and symmetry characterise much of his work. Around a sculpture, openings, shadows and lines change with the viewing angle and the trees behind it.
Jacobsladder, brought from Utrecht, stands eight metres high according to the press release. Its stacked, curved elements draw the eye upwards. Grote vier from Amersfoort is also in the garden. Works usually found in different public places have been brought together temporarily, making contrasts of scale and rhythm easy to compare.
A sculpture’s title may suggest a direction but cannot settle every reading. Visser’s abstract forms often refer to nature: a backbone, a branch or an animal at rest. A steel line beside a tree branch may look similar from one angle and different from another.
The garden exhibition continues through Sunday 25 October 2026 and admission is free. Thirteen monumental sculptures are temporarily on view together, although they normally stand in different public places.