Land art: Exposure, Observatorium

Flevoland, the youngest province of the Netherlands, was created by draining the sea in the twentieth century, and its flat, open, geometric landscape has attracted artists who work with the land itself. Near Lelystad, two of the best known works of the Land Art Flevoland collection can be visited in the open air: Exposure by Antony Gormley and Observatorium by Robert Morris. Both are free to see at any time and give a very different impression from a visit to a museum.

Exposure is a giant figure made of steel beams that crouches on a breakwater in the Markermeer, a short distance from the town. Created by the British sculptor Antony Gormley and completed in 2010, it is some twenty-six metres tall, and it is made as an open lattice so that sky and water can be seen through the body, which makes it seem to dissolve and re-form as you move around it. It is best seen from a distance at first, as a small human shape against an enormous horizon, and then closer up, where its scale becomes apparent. The setting, at the end of a long dike with water on both sides, adds to the effect, and sunrise and sunset are particularly dramatic times to be there. The walk out to it is long and exposed, so bring a windproof layer.

Observatorium is an earlier and more mysterious work. Made by the American artist Robert Morris in 1977, it is a large earthwork of concentric rings of earth and concrete with openings aligned to the sunrise at the solstices and equinoxes, inspired by prehistoric monuments such as stone circles and by ancient observatories. The original was in a different place and was rebuilt near Lelystad later, so it now stands in a quiet polder landscape. Visitors can walk through the openings and around the rings, and the sense of time and of the sky overhead is the point of the piece. At the equinox and solstice sunrises, people gather to watch the sun align with the openings.

Both works work best with some preparation. The access routes are marked, and the sites are in open countryside with little shelter, so dress for the weather. A single visit to both can be done by car or bicycle in around two hours. The nearby Batavialand, the Bataviawerf, the Aviodrome aviation museum and the Natuurpark Lelystad offer other things to do, and the Tulip Route in spring is a pleasant addition.

The land art suits art lovers, photographers, cyclists and anyone who enjoys big skies and thoughtful public art.