Puppetry & Puppets, 2022

No puppet show or puppets to be seen, only the puppet theatre. The sculpture is waiting for you to use it as a stage.

Without puppets we rely on our own fantasy. For once we are not obliged to become the typical Punch or Judy, princess, king or hunter. Everything is allowed. Such freedom invites us to rediscover the place, while looking for useful puppet material. The window in the sculpture gives a view of the environment and each other.

The choice of stories are up to you. Do you want to talk about yourself, about the place or about the news? Everything’s possible. It can produce hilarious theatre and it makes you think about the many rules we set ourselves when watching and being watched.

The idea behind Puppetry & Puppets (2022) emerged during a stay at Kaos, a non-profit organisation that combines art and psychiatry. The artists became interested in the power of puppets in therapy. This form of ‘theatre’ makes it easier to address difficult feelings. The work has been in the museum collection since 2020, but has never been exhibited. It will feature permanently in the collection display from now on.

Number 20 on the map.