GASTVRIJ, 2005, wood, ceramic, acrylic paint and neon, 130 x 285 x 50 cm.

In the front yard of the asylum centre in Apeldoorn I placed a sculpture in the shape of a Dutch gate. The object is painted with Delft blue souvenir designs. The ceramic figures are greeting the passer-by with a kiss. Above the passage the word 'gastvrij' in neon. The literal translation for this Dutch word is 'guest free', in English it means 'hospitable'. The letters light up in three phases. First the word GAST, then the word VRIJ and after that the complete word GASTVRIJ. Location, object, text and the residents in the house, give the word a double meaning. In the house are the asylum seekers desperately waiting for a residence permit.