Convoy Exceptionnel - Kerkbrink Hilversum - 1998
DS Landscape architects redesigned the layout of the Kerkbrink for the city of Hilversum. The official opening in 1998 was prepared in collaboration with the Griftheater and filmmakers Heinerich Kaegi and Andras Hamelberg.
One of the ideas was to make a film about the transportation and placement of the large stone that forms the ‘pièce de résistance’ of the artwork Shlomo Korén designed for the middle of the square, the final piece for the four ‘carpets of bricks’. This huge block of stone was cut from a rock plateau in France; it required a convoi exceptionnel, as this exceptional method of transportion is known internationally. Convoi exceptionnel is also the title of the short film that arose from the collaboration.

On the evening of the opening, three video screens on scaffolding were placed in a triangle above Korén’s artwork, which is sunken in the ground. Projection screens were placed only at the top so that Korén’s sunken object remained visible. Theodor Holman wrote a number of poetic texts that were recited by Wouter Steenbergen and taped, Eric van Raalte created a light show that lit each of the buildings surrounding the square in succession and the accompanying music was composed by Paul Stouthamer. 

The festive opening thereby became a kind of son et lumière installation, with speeches by the mayor and former mayor.
One of the reasons that a purely theatrical opening was not chosen was the limited view most would have in a crowded square. That was well anticipated. The square was packed each of the four times the continuous performance was shown. The video high above the public was visible on three sides; the music and voice could be heard loud and clear.
The Kerkbrink, the square of stories, was returned to the public in style at the modest city party.