Rear Window 2008

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The installation Rear Window was part of the exhibition “Becoming Dutch”

Background
Since I immigrated to Amsterdam in 1998, I’ve been curious about local daily life. I developed a fascination with the 'open curtains' phenomenon, where one can easily observe the private interior of people’s homes from street level. For me, this served as an example for the open-mindedness of the locals. However, this we-have-nothing-to-hide attitude proved to be restricted and limited to what I could actually see when focusing on the displayed interiors. Sometimes I glimpsed small 'idyllic' scenes, that reminded me of music-boxes: sweet, perfectly orchestrated, and mechanical. I had difficulty accepting that peering into apartments and viewing private rooms was part of the norm. For me, this particular relationship between the private and public spheres distinguished Amsterdam from any other European city.