Ingrid Mol, 'Downtown Gods', 2014

Ingrid Mol, 'Binnenstadgoden', 2014
Location: Center of The Hague: Spui - Grote Marktstraat - Kalvermarkt

In the evenings after closing time, when the shops are shut and the streets deserted, the center of The Hague comes alive once more. During this time, department stores, the city hall, and the streets become the domain of the Binnenstadgoden (Downtown Gods): Deatombax (god of transportation), Kobrak (god of animals), and their colleagues wander around together. This is the story told by visual artist Ingrid Mol (1970). She invited seventh-grade students from six primary schools in central The Hague to create one statue for all the Binnenstadgoden.

Ingrid Mol is known for her large, colorful, and imaginative ceramic figures. For example, in 2004, she did a project for a primary school in The Hague’s Statenkwartier, which included sculptures, a mural, and a comic book (LINV 29 the expedition to the greedy potato fields). P. Struycken, the initiator of the Beeldengalerij, asked her to create a pedestal sculpture specifically for children. Mol translated aspects of the city center (fashion, money, food, communication, transportation, entertainment, animals, and children) into the Binnenstadgoden. It’s a delightful story designed to spark the imagination of children.

During a guest lesson at the schools, each child chose their favorite god and tried to draw it as accurately as possible. Mol took all the children's drawings to her studio, where she selected the most imaginative ones for each god. For some gods, she combined different drawings: the head of one, the body of another. This was followed by a phase of numerous small clay sketches to determine the posture and proportions. Then there was the issue of the pedestal. Normally, Mol’s sculptures are placed directly on the ground. Therefore, she wanted the provided pedestal to serve a function. This happened almost naturally: the gods simply climbed on top of it. And on each other. They wanted a statue of themselves.
www.ingridmol.com

The Beeldengalerij
For 30 years, Stroom Den Haag has been showcasing a cross-section of contemporary Dutch sculpture through the Beeldengalerij, specifically intended for the city center of The Hague. Originally conceived and designed by P. Struycken, an annual commission is given to a leading Dutch artist for a new work. This year, Stroom has also approached a female artist to ensure more diversity and balance in the collection.