
Once upon a time, the cow and the pig rode on a rail after each other on a roof garden at Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, WKZ). In 1999 they were commissioned by artist Guido Geelen for that spot. Because of a renovation, they had to be taken down. Cow and Pig faced an uncertain existence and were temporarily 'stabled' in the artist’s studio while he contemplated how to make a new sculpture with them that would fit in with the WKZ.
Cow and Pig have been supplemented by a sheep and a rooster, stacked on top of each other as if they were the Bremen Town Musicians. The artist thought of this fairy tale while creating the new sculpture. It is a fairy tale in which animals join together in their search for a new home. A thought that underscores the fairy tale is that collaboration helps get things done.
Children were asked how they would title the sculpture and from all the entries the jury chose the title: "The WKZ musicians." The statue has stood on the forecourt since 2012 and was commissioned by the Board of Directors at the time to mark the 125th anniversary of the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital.
Photography: Multimedia UMC Utrecht