The Society of Benevolence, founded in 1818 by General Johannes van den Bosch, was an innovative initiative to combat poverty in the Netherlands through agricultural colonies. Frederiksoord, the first of these ‘experimental colonies’, offered impoverished city dwellers the opportunity to improve their lives through labour and education. This system combined freedom with a clear structure centred on rules and discipline. Residents were not physically confined but were expected to work hard to eventually, for example, acquire their farm.
In 2021, UNESCO recognised the Colonies of Benevolence, including Frederiksoord, as a World Heritage Site for their unique historical and social significance. To mark the 200th anniversary of the Society of Benevolence (Maatschappij van Weldadigheid), the Province of Drenthe gifted the artwork The Illusion of Order, designed by Ricky Rijkenberg, to Frederiksoord.
Upon arriving at the Museum De Proefkolonie, the monumental size and slender, transparent form of The Illusion of Order immediately capture attention. Visitors walking through its structures experience the spaciousness and the interplay of light and shadow. When several people are inside the artwork simultaneously, a brief moment of unexpected connection arises: strangers form a temporary community within its framework, echoing how the colonists once built a new society together.
The Illusion of Order is transparent and adapts to its surroundings; sometimes, it seems almost invisible. Similarly, parts of Frederiksoord’s history remain visible in the landscape, while other elements have disappeared or left behind only fragments. Depending on the angle of light, the lines of the artwork are sometimes accentuated and, at other moments, almost merge with the background, giving it a dynamic character. From different perspectives, the lines converge and fade, creating a sense that the illusion of regularity is constantly shifting.
The fixed swings within the artwork evoke a feeling of playful freedom, symbolising the desire to ‘break out of the frame’. They invite reflection on what freedom within structures truly means: how free are we? Can we step outside our frameworks, or are we always bound to a certain regularity?
The artwork calls for contemplation. What do order, systems, and regularity mean to us? And how do they relate to freedom and discipline? The Illusion of Order invites us to explore these questions and experience how the balance between structure and freedom is a part of our lives.
Client: Provincie Drenthe
Design: Ricky Rijkenberg
Steelwork: DOK, Chris van den Berg
Photography: Jordi Huisman
Drawings: Ricky Rijkenberg and Karres en Brands
