Marco Goldenbeld
“Triumph is well worth the doubt”
According to sculptor Marco Goldenbeld, art cannot exist without passion. Passion signifies dedication; without it, he couldn't sustain his work. Each time, he embarks on a quest for the perfect form, with an unknown reward and a journey that is exciting, surprising, and sometimes frustrating. His desire to create a sculpture that appears to float keeps him going: "If I could devise a trick to make sculptures float, I would be completely free." In this tension between gravity and levitation, he finds the freedom to shape forms and has spent nearly 40 years disciplined in the struggle to realize the ideal form. "Triumph is well worth the doubt."
"I start from scratch or build upon the theme of my last piece. Working with metal, cardboard, and wax, a solution emerges through exploration, leading to a sculpture."
Rietveld Academy
Sculpture was instilled in Marco Goldenbeld from an early age; both his parents were sculptors who worked traditionally and figuratively. He remembers his father as a craftsman who was strict with himself. Although influenced by figurative sculpture from a young age, he chose not to confine himself and enrolled at the Rietveld Academy. In the mid-1970s, the academy transitioned from traditional to conceptual art. He emphasizes the importance of teachers in shaping students' future work. At the academy, he was taught by Jos Wong, Aart Rietbroek, and Hein Mader.
Seeking Simplicity and Form
For Goldenbeld, form is paramount. He describes creating a new sculpture as a quest for simplicity and form, feeling a kinship with artists like Brancusi, Barbara Hepworth, Le Corbusier, Calatrava, and Gehry. "I start from scratch or build upon the theme of my last piece. Working with metal, cardboard, and wax, a solution emerges through exploration, leading to a sculpture." The piece 'Nested' originated purely from such form research, involving literal manipulation of cardboard components. In this process, he makes choices dictated by the sculpture itself, such as accentuating certain forms. "In 'Nested,' I decided to blue a part to emphasize the presence of two identical sections." After this exploration, he invests time in creating a scale model to understand the sculpture's construction, determining dimensions, materials, and construction sequence. "Then, gather materials and get to work."
The Logic of Creation
Goldenbeld seeks a successful tension between material and form, requiring concentration and attention. "Ultimately, a sculpture creates itself. There's a certain logic inherent in the creation process, which I seek and aim to engage with." This process remains consistent, though he incorporates experiences from completed works, such as knowledge of light and shadow affecting spatiality. Through trial and error, adding and subtracting, he has developed a recognizable oeuvre over nearly 40 years. A recurring form in his work is the triangle, appearing in various manifestations, as seen in 'Balance' and 'Folded Triangle.' "When seeking simplicity and tension, the triangle is an inexhaustible source. It first appears unconsciously, later more deliberately. From point to line, add another point, and you have a plane..."
Commissions
Goldenbeld frequently works on commission, using the location or content as a starting point. While associations often arise immediately, he begins from scratch. During the design process, form and content converge, becoming more compatible. He views commissions as challenges rather than limitations. "Commissions allow me to work on a large scale. Steel provides that opportunity. A sculpture shouldn't just be seen but experienced; you should walk around and beneath it to fully grasp its form. Translating a commission's content into my own visual language is an exciting endeavor."
