The Golden Square Metre at the VOC-quay, Amsterdam
The seemingly simple artwork in the inlet basin at the VOC quay was created במיוחד for this historically charged site in Amsterdam. The Golden Square Metre establishes a direct link with the former VOC shipyard and the trade of that time, connecting it to an urgent contemporary issue: living in Amsterdam and the trade in ever more expensive square metres.
By placing the work just below the water surface, it acquires an additional layer of meaning: what role does greed play in climate change and rising sea levels, which may eventually put Amsterdam literally under water?
The artwork invites residents and visitors to reflect critically on this situation.
Data
Artwork: RAAAF
Year: 2025
Location: VOC-quay, Amsterdam
Commissioned by: Stadgenoot | Stadscuratorium Amsterdam
Project management: Marco Kops, Wise Guys
Construction and execution: Koos Schaart Adventures
Craftsmanship: Franziska Loeding
Team: Ronald Rietveld, Erik Rietveld, Daria Khozhai, Jouke Bos, David Habets
Movie: Barbara Visser i.c.w. Skymotion
Special thanks to: Barbara Visser, Claudia Linders
Reviews
Parool
“In Oostenburg, a golden square meter will soon ‘float’: ‘What is a home worth as sea levels rise?’
The artist collective RAAAF designed an artwork for Oostenburg. Soon, The Golden Square Meter will appear at the VOC quay.”
Stadscuratorium Amsterdam
“In the Golden Age,* VOC ships set sail from Oostenburg to obtain and trade valuable overseas goods. Today, the square meter itself has become the ultimate unit of trade. Instead of goods, it is now space — scarce and extremely expensive square meters — that is traded on a globalising real estate market.”
Petersburg Journaal Amsterdam