Telephonebook Netherlands, 2020, 64,5 x 26,6 x 23,5 CM

Collective Identity Captured in Layers of Paper
Telephonebook Netherlands (2020) by Mart Visser is a powerful abstract sculpture in which the memory of hundreds of thousands of people is encapsulated within a single human form. Using old phonebook pages from across the Netherlands, Visser transforms this ephemeral medium into a striking symbol of connection and impermanence. Each carefully constructed layer adds depth and visual complexity, forming the vague silhouette of a head, an echo of human presence in an increasingly digital world.

On Memory, Time, and Human Connection
Up close, fragments of names, addresses, and data emerge, traces of countless individual lives. These details evoke a quiet sense of connection and reflect a time when information was tangible and locally rooted. Telephonebook Netherlands (2020) invites contemplation on identity, collective memory, and the passage of time in a country undergoing constant change. Through this work, Visser breathes new life into discarded material, reshaping it into a poetic monument of human connection, layered, introspective, and profoundly resonant.