Created as a tribute to Dutch cartoonist Marten Toonder, the Toonder Monument is a whimsical commemoration of a legacy that continues to impact the culture of the Netherlands. Located on an otherwise unassuming street corner in Rotterdam, the monument is directly connected to Toonder’s work but has become something much more than a memorial to him or any of his creations.
Formally titled Homage Marten Toonder, the Toonder Monument honors the Rotterdam-born comic-book author who had a great influence on the Dutch language by introducing new words and expressions. Numerous characters in Toonder’s comics have their own peculiar dialect of Dutch, impacting the culture of the region and country in a profound manner. He has been recognized as the most well-known Dutch cartoonist.
At nearly twenty feet tall, the monument dominates the Rotterdam street corner where it resides. The monument itself is defined by a clover-shaped bench that allows audiences to sit anywhere they’d like. Rising out of the middle of the piece is an obelisk, illuminated on the four sides with reliefs and bronze likenesses of Toonder’s most famous characters. The obelisk is crowned by a brush and pen, which are symbols for Toonder’s drawing and writing skills. The four characters depicted are Marquis De Cantecler, Mayor Dickerdack, Professor Sickbock and the painter Terpen Tijn. These figures represent philosophy, politics, science and economics.
“De Artoonisten” is collective of Rotterdam artists and is credited as the creator of the piece. The group includes Hans van Bentem, Pepijn van den Nieuwendijk, Luuk Bode and DJ Chantelle (Boris van Berkum), whose work derives images from mass media, packaging, advertising and cartoons. They’re committed to adding fantastic elements from science fiction or mythology as part of their work in all different formats.
Unveiled in 2002, the Toonder Monument will always be directly connected to Marten Toonder but the imaginative spirit that the monument possesses allows audiences to experience it in many different ways, highlighting what it can mean for a monument to connect people, eras and cultures.
