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Along the bicycle routes of the municipality of Eemsmond, Rustpunten forms a poetic network of five large human sculptures. At carefully chosen spots, the figures – cut out of massive steel plates – seem to have settled on long benches. They muse, rest or seem to nod off for a moment in the vast Groninger Hoogeland.
Although the sculptures are flat, their contours create an unexpected spatiality. The emptiness of the landscape reinforces that effect: the horizon forms, as it were, the backdrop in which the steel figures light up almost characteristically. Cyclists and walkers can take a seat on the bench next to the sculpture and lean against its silhouette for a moment. In this way, the visitor becomes part of the artwork and the landscape.
Hot-dip galvanized steel as a durable support for art
Durability and imagination come together in the construction of both the benches and the human figures. The base/bench is made entirely of untreated, hot-dip galvanized steel. This choice is deliberate: the material is low-maintenance and can withstand decades of exposure to wind and weather. Over time, a matted, slightly graying patina forms that beautifully matches the character of the Groningen countryside.
The carved figures are also hot-dip galvanized, but then finished with a powder coating – the so-called duplex method. This combination provides double protection: the galvanized steel prevents corrosion from within, while the powder coating keeps the sculptures colorfast and visually powerful. As a result, the works of art not only last, but actually become more beautiful over time. Rest Points thus invites you to pause: a moment of peace, carried by steel made to defy the landscape for years to come.
