Ten years after WW II, Rotterdam presented itself as a reborn city. The 1955 National Energy Manifestation took place at three locations: the Ahoy hall, The Park and the newly built Energy Hall next to the Boijmans – Van Beuningen Museum. Queen Juliana opened the exhibition, which was dominated by lust for life, willpower and zest for work. Mies Bouwman presented the various parts of the programme. In addition to Dutch innovations like nodding donkey pumps, cooling towers, bridges, telephone exchanges, television sets and space suits, the exhibition also provided a stage for modern artists such as Karel Appel, Constant Nieuwenhuys and Wim Crouwel.

Opening E 55
Opening E55

Karel Appel and his fifteen-year-old assistant Jan Cremer painted the 80-metre-long ‘Wall of Energy’. Photographer Ed van der Elsken immortalised the painters during their work, which was a good thing, because after the exhibition, the wall was given up to the demolition hammers.

Muur der Energie
Wall of Energy

This time, Appel had been warned in advance. Five years earlier, the artist had erected a ‘Tree of Life’ in Ahoy, symbolising Rotterdam’s resurrection. It turned out to be a short resurrection, however, because to Appel’s chagrin the 20-metre high colourful tree was torn down after all was said and done.

Levensboom
Tree of Life

For the Rotterdam Floriade in 1960, Karel Appel created a multimedia moon landscape. This third major work of art has not stood the test of time either. Only the Euromast is still standing as a solid reminder of the optimistic Floriade of the post-war reconstruction.