The public artwork The Encounter is placed near the entrance of Zaandijk’s city hall. Two transparent sculptures of stylized human figures stand like sentinels on either side of the city hall’s monumental staircase. The two figures are cast from a crystal-clear polyester and are placed inside a crystal structure.The figurative sculptures in the two large inox crystals bring the human element back into the deserted area of the square. The glasslike material absorbs the light and continuously changes expression with the change of the light.
When it gets dark, both the sculptures and crystals are illuminated from below. It looks like the energy absorbed during the day is emitted again when the night falls. Thus, the force field in which man finds himself – in the encounter with the environment and other people – becomes visible.