Telephonebook Amsterdam, 2017, 63,5 x 22 x 27 CM

One Head, Thousands of Stories: Amsterdam as a Sculptural Memory Keeper
Telephonebook of Amsterdam (2017) by Mart Visser is a powerful abstract sculpture that captures the collective memory of a city in physical form. The work is built from old phonebook pages from Amsterdam, a symbol of connection and impermanence. By transforming this everyday, discarded material into art, Visser highlights the evolving ways in which we relate to one another in an increasingly digital world. Layer by layer, the head takes shape, creating an impressive sense of depth and complexity. The contours of a human head remain faintly visible, like fading memories resurfacing from time.

Connection and Ephemerality Captured in Paper
Up close, fragments of names and addresses emerge from the sculpture’s surface, traces of lives once linked by analog networks. The piece invites viewers to reflect on personal connections and how individual identities intertwine within an urban environment. Telephonebook of Amsterdam (2017) emphasizes themes of urban memory, collective identity, and the passage of time. Visser ingeniously repurposes outdated material into a work that is both poetic and thought-provoking, a quiet monument to human presence and a reminder of the invisible threads that bind us together.