Visual Arts Commission: MOTION at Beweeg College and the Zoetermeer Sports Hall
Visual art is important to the experience of the environment where people live, work, and spend their leisure time. By commissioning art specifically for a particular location, Zoetermeer sets itself apart from other cities. A budget is set aside for art in every (new) construction project. Thanks to the percentage-based policy, there are approximately 180 freestanding and integrated works of art located near and inside public buildings and in public spaces. The city’s rapid growth has led to the development of a high-quality collection of visual art.
Participation in Art Commissions
For each art commission, the municipality establishes a project group consisting of residents, users, and/or interested parties from the location where the artwork will be installed. The members of the project group collaborate to determine the location and the specific commission for the artwork and, under the guidance of a project leader and a professional advisor, select the artist. The desired effect of participation in the visual arts is to foster (greater) appreciation and support among those involved for the artworks created in public spaces—both indoors and outdoors.
MOTION Fitness Center and Sports Hall
On Van Doornenplantsoen, the municipality of Zoetermeer is constructing a new school building for the MOTION Beweeg College and a new municipal sports hall. The school (a VMBO-basis-kaderschool) is designed to accommodate up to 550 students and complies with the 2021 “Frisse Scholen” Program of Requirements. This initiative focuses on creating a healthy, inspiring, and sustainable learning environment. The sports hall is multifunctional and will be used during the day by the schools and in the evenings and on weekends by sports clubs, including the Phoenix korfball club. These are robust buildings, surrounded by greenery and partially bordered by a dike, a landscape feature from the former polder.
The Assignment
The concept calls for a work of art that invites interaction, use, and physical activity for both students and users of the sports hall. On the levee embankment along the school, sports hall, and sports fields, there is space for a work of art that may consist of multiple components, as long as they together form a cohesive and recognizable whole. A visually appealing artwork that, in combination with the levee, will become an inspiring place. The artwork must be visible from both the roadside and from the school, sports hall, and sports fields. In addition, the design must not obstruct the view of people near the artwork, so that social safety, visibility, and interaction are maintained.
The artist is expected to actively involve users in the development and execution of the commission. The artwork must foster physical interaction between art, public space, and the users involved.
The total budget for this project, including fees, installation, and connection, is a maximum of €90,000 (excluding VAT). The project is scheduled to begin in September 2026. Final delivery is planned for around September 2027.
Project Group
A project group has been formed for this assignment. In addition to users of the MOTION Beweeg College and the sports center, the group includes the government project manager, communications and technical advisors, and an external visual arts consultant.
Information and Registration
Diversity is important; that is why the municipality of Zoetermeer is seeking professional visual artists who have not yet exhibited their work in Zoetermeer. Interested artists may submit a resume and printed documentation of recent work, no larger than A4 size, to the address below (no slides or audiovisual materials, no loose sheets). All documentation must include your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number. The documentation will not be returned.
Procedure
From the submissions, the municipality will select three artists to develop a conceptual sketch. A fee of €3,000, excluding VAT, is available for each conceptual sketch. The artist will be asked to present the conceptual sketch to the project group. The project group will select one conceptual sketch from among those submitted by the selected artists to be developed further.
Entries must be received by September 1, 2026, by:
Municipality of Zoetermeer
Leisure Department
(please reference the MOTION art commission) Beweeg College and Sports Hall
P.O. Box 15
2700 AA Zoetermeer
For more information: www.zoetermeer.nl/kunst and www.zoetermeer.nl/vandoornenplantsoen