‘De Spelletjeshut’ (The Game Hut) is a team-artwork of 3 by 2 by 2 meters (118,1 by 78,7 by 78,7 inch) located at the Van Haersoltemarke in Zwolle Zuid. The original idea for the hut came from nine year old Sebastian Snitjer, who won ‘Ik, de Burgemeester’ (Me, the Mayor), a contest initiated by Stadkamer Zwolle. Sebastian wanted to bring his neighborhood together by giving them the opportunity to meet and play games.
Dennie Boxem was asked as performing artist. With Sebastian they drew up a hut with a jungle theme, with three mosaic leaves serving as benches. Due to Boxems concept twenty-five neighbors could participate in making this piece of art.
The roof is made of a centimeter thick crystal clear perspex in a steel frame. The frame is six centimeters high and is filled with water. When the sun shines through this roof of water, and the wind or rain wrinkles the surface, the light leaves a beautiful moving pattern on the grass floor.
In the centre of the hut stands a rotating wooden table. Every side of the table has a different game; Chess, Monopoly, Checkers and Ludo. The game stones are stored different homes, and can be picked up by whoever wants to play, stimulating contact in the neighborhood.
On the 19th of juli 2018 ‘De Spelletjeshut’ was officially opened by Sebastian Snitjer, Gemeente Zwolle alderman Michiel van Willigen, Stadkamer Zwolle representative Sanne Gras and Dennie Boxem.
Due to weather influences the wooden table had to renovated to a mosaic table in 2021.
Special thanks to Gerard Arkes for help creating the shapes of the leaves.
Special thanks to Joost Groeneveld for help constructing the rotating game table.
Photography by Alex Mulder (De Stentor), Leonie Boschma and Paula Arkes.
