robert smithson's 'broken circle/spiral hill' gains monument status and opens for public visits

robert smithson’s broken circle/spiral hill is now a monument

Land Art Contemporary and Holt/Smithson Foundation announce that Robert Smithson’s Broken Circle/Spiral Hill is officially designated as a provincial monument by the Province of Drenthe, securing a sustainable future for the landmark earthwork in Emmen, Netherlands. Created in 1971, the artwork is the only surviving earthwork by Smithson outside the United States and is now protected for future generations. Typically closed to the public due to its location on private land, Broken Circle/Spiral Hill will be accessible this year, allowing visitors to experience the site across all four seasons.

Broken Circle/Spiral Hill was previously made accessible for a limited time in 2021 to mark its 50th anniversary (find designboom’s interview on with Lisa Le Feuvre, Holt/Smithson Foundation executive director here). Now, with its new status as a monument, the site will once again open to visitors for eight weekends across 2025.

Broken Circle/Spiral Hill by Robert Smithson (1971) | image: Beeldkrakers (2024), courtesy Land Art Lives and Kunstmuseum M.

netherlands’ landmark earthwork reopens for limited visits

Designed for the 1971 exhibition Sonsbeek Buiten de Perken, Smithson’s Broken Circle/Spiral Hill sits within an active sand quarry, engaging with the industrial and geological history of the region. The artwork consists of two interconnected elements: Broken Circle, a jetty extending into the teal waters of the quarry with an Ice Age-era boulder at its center, and Spiral Hill, a conical mound with a winding path that offers panoramic views of the site.

‘The only surviving “earth work” by Smithson outside the US is now better protected for the future,’ expresses Anne Reenders of Land Art Contemporary, welcoming the recognition of the artwork’s significance. ‘Robert Smithson is an artist who rethought the possibilities of art. We are extremely happy that this unique artwork has been made a provincial monument,’ adds Lisa Le Feuvre.

In collaboration with the owners of the site and local partners, Land Art Contemporary is organizing field trips in spring, summer, autumn, and winter of 2025, offering visitors the opportunity to experience Broken Circle/Spiral Hill throughout the changing seasons. The excursions will be hosted in partnership with DIEP—space for visual arts in Emmen.

Broken Circle/Spiral Hill by Robert Smithson | image: Jan Niks (1971), courtesy Land Art Contemporary

Broken Circle/Spiral Hill by Robert Smithson (1971) | image: Beeldkrakers (2024), courtesy Land Art Lives and Kunstmuseum M.

project info:

name: Broken Circle/Spiral Hill
artist: Robert Smithson | @holtsmithsonfoundation
location: Emmen, Netherlands
date: 1971 (designation as provincial monument in 2024)

robert smithson’s broken circle/spiral hill is now a monument

netherlands’ landmark earthwork reopens for limited visits

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