André Volten

The university owns two works by André Volten (1925–2002), one of the most important Dutch sculptors of the post-1945 generation. The largest work is in the garden between Cobbenhagen and Koopmans Buildings. A smaller work can be found in the courtyard garden of Tias, after it previously had a place on the outside of the old social cluster, where Sociology and Psychology were housed.

Both works are made of granite and are composed of simple, mathematical forms or elements. André Volten was much concerned with the role of art in the public space, especially after 1954, the year in which he co-founded the artists' group Liga Nieuw Beelden. They produced numerous “constructivist” sculptures in many cities in the Netherlands and abroad. From the late 1960s, Volten increasingly executed his sculptures in stainless steel, often also using granite and corten steel—the material that is also found in several sculptures at the University.

His oeuvre contributed significantly to the integration of visual arts in public space. In 1996, Volten received the Oeuvre Prize of the Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten, Vormgeving en Bouwkunst for his work. His works are in the collections of the Kröller-Müller Museum, the Lehmbruck-Museum in Duisburg, the Kunsthalle Mannheim in Mannheim and the Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten in Marl, among others.