Land-art Broken Circle / Spiral Hill - Emmen

In 1971, American artist Robert Smithson travelled to the Netherlands for the land-art project ‘Sonsbeek buiten de perken’. He chose south-east Drenthe as the location and created ‘Broken Circle and Spiral Hill’ in a sand quarry between Weerdinge and Emmerschans. The artwork consists of a circular headland, partly embracing water, with a large boulder as its central element. Next to the circle rose the ‘Spiral Hill’, a conical hill with a spiral path, which allows visitors to experience the artwork from changing perspectives.

Over the years, the artwork has been restored several times to preserve it. The headland was reinforced, and the hill and path were restored. ‘Broken Circle and Spiral Hill’ remains Smithson's only remaining land-art project in Europe, attracting visitors from all over the world every year. However, its maintenance remains an ongoing challenge.

Photo: Robert Smithson, Broken Circle/Spiral Hill (1971) © Holt/Smithson Foundation, Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York