The square is the same shape and size as the Black Square by Kazimir Malevitch. To me that painting symbolizes the absolute. It visualizes the absurdity and tragedy of our lives, and the death that must follow.
When you are in a building, with large windows, and you are looking out, especially in an art gallery, like this was, the feeling is generally that of expansive space, of possibility. I wanted to contrast that with the black square, and make the viewer confront both the mundane reality and the absolute.
Furthermore this work was made for the exhibition “MAAK RUIMTE” (MAKE SPACE), from 10 februari 2023 to 5 maart 2023 in PE5. The view from this buikding, designed by Gerrit Rietveld, is mundane and frankly awful. The use of this very square form to intervene in that rhymed with the building and made instinctive sense with Rietveld’s modus operandi.
The back side of the sticker was white, which was a nice contrast from the look inside and made the inside more dramatic.