JO is a Giant avatar. JO is made of fresh cut poplar. The poplars used tot be on a large terrain of the former, famous swimming pool Terworm in the south of the Netherlands, Heerlen.The swimming pool was demolished due to the exodus of young people in the region. In the aftermath of the mine closure, the pool was unnecessary. The region was once wealthy because of the coal mining and tight regime of the catholic church. With the closure of the several coalmine companies religion also diminished.
The rapidly aging region needs new impulses. Self-esteem and pride, economic growth, the landscape is changing from black (coal) to green, but also demographic change from old to young, transformation is the key word. JO is a metaphor for this. Rebuilding and reinventing a new society.
