Hasn’t that building been empty for a long time?
“It has been a dark big gaping hole in the city center for three years. That’s exactly why I thought: I’ll call one of the investors, I thought it was socially irresponsible to leave it empty like that.”
And who said?
“Apparently I approached them just at the right time, I was allowed to come and talk, presented my plan to bring some joy to that black hole and made a quote. That was okay, they liked that.”
What do we see on the windows of the former V&D?
“Very large images, four by four meters, for example of The milkmaid van Vermeer, of which you can become a part yourself by having yourself poured a glass of milk, you stand there like a child so small. Or a kind of Rembrandt-like painter who paints you, because you are projected onto the easel by a webcam as a passer-by. There is a special for tourists Say Cheese, with lots of cheese cubes. If you look closely you can see that bites have been taken from one of those blocks, so you can pose for that. It’s all fun, I like it when people enjoy my work.”
You actually make images, don’t you?
“I do coaching, I am a trend watcher and yes, I also enjoy making remembrance art, from getting married to mourning. This is something different, although I was already quite handy with two-dimensional computer designs.”
What follows next, the famous Bijenkorf shop windows?
“Then De Bijenkorf must first go bankrupt. I say: bring it on, I am open to anyone who wants an interactive shop window.”