immigration napkin
At the border control of Schipol Airport, I see the immigration officer try to stamp on a napkin before sealing my passport. I thought it was refreshing to see the stamp outside of a passport picoge. I asked him if he could hand me this napkin with try outs. He had to consult with his colleague whether this was ok. After confusion and suspicion, they both agreed.
This napkin became a treasure, allowing for a moment in which we suspended our social roles, a brief moment of complicity in the grey zone across borders.
Since that moment I have tried different ideas, I have brought my own tissue paper, and lately I brought a lottery ticket and asked if he could stamp it for good luck.
This work was shown in:
1. Act Like You Still Know Me
8.11.2025 — 17.1.2026
curated by Titus Nouwens
Sybren Hellinga Keunstpriis 2025
Kunsthuis SYB, Beesterswag, NL
2. Phantom Limb: Some People Bring Their Bodies
1.9.2023 —3.9.2023
curated by Tirza Kater and Tim Mathijssen, Marwan
Systema 2023
Palais Carli, Marseille, FR
4. By The Way
28.9.2024 — 20.12.2024
Curated by Salim Bayri and Ghita Skali
Moezeum
Rotterdam, NL
3. 11 Hours of Clouds
1.2.2025 — 1.3.2025
Curated by Pieter Augustijn and Ruby de Vos
Art is Book
Groningen, NL
photo by: Robert Mulder