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Herzogenrath
(Stadt Herzogenrath)
Städteregion Aachen

Nordrhein-Westfalen

Burgstraße 5
(Burg Rode, forecourt)

Social Sofa: 'Über die Grenze'

Social Sofa: Across the border

Regina Leue
2019

Herzogenrath /  Social Sofa: 'Über die Grenze'   Herzogenrath /  Social Sofa: 'Über die Grenze'

Beschreibung / Description

Social Sofa with a mosaic motives from 'Eurode' (=Herzogenrath and Kerkrade).
For the city of Herzogenrath the "Moses" and the "Bockreiter", for the municipality of Kerkrade the "Jupp", the EBC as a building in the middle of the border, as well as the monuments of the Historical Triangle: Rolduc Abbey and Rode Castle. As a reference to the common mining period, the Adolf mine is depicted from Germany and the Dominale mine for Kerkrade. From the more recent history a boundary stone of the Neustraße and as a reminder of the cooperation the connecting piece, which connects the fire hoses of the fire departments of Herzogenrath and Kerkrade.
On the back are the Dutch and German title: over de grens and über die grenze.

Social Sofa

Social Sofas are concrete living room model sofas covered with mosaic.
The idea comes from Tilburg-based Karin Bruers. Her company Social Sofa (Tilburg, now Oisterwijk) manufactures - or guides enthusiasts to manufacture - them. There are 150 of them in Tilburg alone. Some of these sofas show human or animal representations, the ones we happened to see are included on this site.
See Social Sofa, Socias Sofa Website and Karin Bruers, Social Sofa.

Beschriftung(en) / Inscription(s)

Gerealiseerd door het Openbaar Lichaam Eurode
Realisiert durch den Zweckverband Eurode
und viele Bewohner von Eurode
en veel bewoners van Eurode
Realised by the Eurode administration union

and many residents of Eurode

Social Sofa

Social Sofas sind Sitzbänke im Wohnzimmer-Stil aus Beton, die mit farbenfrohen Mosaiken bekleidet sind. Sie heißen „Social Sofas“, weil sie das Viertel und die Menschen, die dort leben, miteinander verbinden. Man kann sich beispielsweise auf einer solchen Bank treffen, um Geschichten auszutauschen. Die Betonbänke werden von der Firma Social Sofa geliefert, und die Mosaike werden von Menschen aus der Nachbarschaft, Schulkindern, Menschen mit einer Distanz zum Arbeitsmarkt, Wiedereingliederungshelfern und manchmal auch von Künstlern angefertigt.
Die Idee stammt von der Designerin, Künstlerin, Aktivistin und Kabarettistin Karin Bruers aus Tilburg. Ihr Unternehmen Social Sofa stellt die Betonbänke her. In den Niederlanden ging sind es sicherlich etwa 1500 Sofas. In anderen Ländern einige Dutzend
Auf unserer Website führen wir nur die „Wohnzimmer-Modelle“ auf, die mit Mosaiksteinchen bedeckt sind. Es gibt nämlich einige, die mit Graffiti verziert sind.

Social Sofas are concrete sofas designed to resemble living room furniture, covered in colourful mosaics. They are called ‘Social’ Sofas because they bring the neighbourhood and the people who live there closer together. People can, for example, meet on one of these benches to share stories. The concrete benches are supplied by the company Social Sofa, and the mosaics are created by local residents, schoolchildren, people facing barriers to employment, those reintegrating into the workforce, and sometimes also by artists.
The idea comes from designer, artist, activist and cabaret artist Karin Bruers from Tilburg. Her company, Social Sofa, manufactures the concrete benches. There are 150 in Tilburg alone. Across the Netherlands, there are certainly around 1,500. Outside the Netherlands only a few dozen.
On our website, we only feature the ‘living room model benches’, which are covered in mosaic tiles. There are, in fact, a few that are decorated with graffiti.

Quellen für Social Sofas im Allgemeinen:

Sources for social sofas in general:

Künstler*in / Artist

Quellen & Informationen / Sources & Information

Stichworte / Tags

Lage / Location (N 50°52'1" - E 6°5'25") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: denw1224; Photograph: 16 September 2024
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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