De Thuiskomst was a temporary monument for a Jewish family from Arnhem, who escaped from the Holocaust by hiding for almost three years in a house in Ede.

Invited to make a site-specific installation in a house in Arnhem, I wanted to know more about the history of this house. The residents did not know much about it, but shortly before my project, two members of a Jewish family who lived in this house during and after the Second Worls War, had contacted the residents to revisit the house. During this revisit, in which we had lunch, they not only shared their stories from their hiding period, but we also collectively explored the house to see if we could find any old traces.

When we arrived in the cellar, they immediately recognized an old cupboard, which was made by the German officer who took their house after their escape from the house. When they returned to their house, the entire living room was filled with this dark wooden furniture.

We pulled this cupboard up back to the living room and during the exhibition, I made it listen to recorded songs sung by Ido and Ida Nathans which they used to sing during their hiding period and which they were ready to sing again for this project.