'Aggression' 1968 (placed in 1971)

Location: To the north of the Hoofdgebouw 

With Couzijn, Guntenaar and Tajiri, Kneulman in the 1950s is the founder of the 'Group Amsterdam'. Their works are abstract-expressionistic, which is very innovating and meets with a great lack of understanding in the general public.

Kneulmans best-known work is het Lieverdje in Amsterdam, which was also a great favorite in the 1970’s of Provo. Still, this is by no means the true Kneulman (1915). He is not a darling, but a militant man. It is quite understandable that World War II reinforced this trait of the singer, poet, graphic artist and sculptor. 'Aggression' (1968) is therefore a pivotal work in his oeuvre.

When the sculpture, weighing 4 tons, was placed in 1971, it kindled so much aggression in many employees, that Kneulman wrote an explanation:
"Aggression is, in my experience, the same as an indomitable urge to grow. Aggression I experience as 'blind' life. Aggressiveness only creates formal living space for mankind if it is earthed (earthy) by a philosophy that is based on the pursuit of development of and for everyone. Such a philosophy can only be perceptible in the sustained exchange of ideas. The absence of a such a philosophy is visible in calamities like wars (discussions that have got out of hand) and in environmental pollution (technology that has got out of hand)."

"Back to the sculpture. It represents the degeneration of the beautiful bird 'Aggression' into the destructive, vain, aggressive animal. It is the image of our present living and working environment; a pyramidal thought grave. It is deliberately not a 'nice' sculpture. It is battered, scorched, affected by the consuming fire of vanities. The sculpture is vanity itself."

See also: Vubis database
Couzijn, Guntenaar, Tajiri,

Links Carel Kneulman
http://www.netcetera.nl/dvg/0297verstoven.html
http://www.museumzwolle.nl/expo/mens_in_beeld2_00.htm
http://www.tue.nl/cursor/bastiaan/jaargang43/cursor21/cultuur.shtml