It is already the fourth time in two months that Gerda Kromer has driven her artwork on the Lijnbaansgracht and seen it broken. The artwork surrounds one of the orange carpet’s makeshift bridges, but it’s so low that boats crash into it: “You have to go by a bullet train to destroy this, I won’t do it myself.”

Gerda emerges from the water “Martin Crabbe probably ran into this”. Large orange panels on the side of the bridge make for a showpiece where celebrities visited last week Hit her with his knowledge.

Because the bridge is so low, three planks have already broken and bent due to the boats hitting it. According to the signs, the bridge is 1.30 meters high. “But because of the protrusion of the panels, this side is lower in height than the other,” explains Gerda. “Then the boats make miscalculations. This has happened at least four times since April 16.”

“My inspiration is Jordan, where street names are often associated with flowers.” In addition, the design is based on building deposits in southern European countries: “There, renovations always look very cheerful because of the brightly colored deposits.”

Municipal administration

The artwork was done by Gerda, commissioned by the municipality. “I think it is a shame that such a work of art, which is meant to be so beautiful and delightful, is so poorly maintained,” says Gerda. The municipality must repair the damage, but after Gerda’s four reports, little happens. “I pass by it every day and I think it’s such a shame to see it. It’s my art, my spiritual possession. So I think it has to be 100 percent intact.”

The bridge is part of the Oranje Loper. A project in which the bridges in the center are to be replaced and reinforced. The municipality says that auxiliary bridges are sometimes lower than normal bridges to ensure that they do not rise sharply, otherwise they would not be accessible to all. “This bridge is the lowest at 1.40 metres, so we put signs there to make sure it is at 1.30 metres. Unfortunately, a boat crashed into it several times. We have received the report and will cross the bridge to fix it soon.”

Gerda thinks the municipality should handle the property better. According to her, the solution is to indicate less vertical clearance: “And to attach something like rubber edging under the artwork so that if someone makes a miscalculation, there will be less damage.”