P012 → Un/Cover Vermeer, 2023
7-Day-Performance at Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Publication:
2023, “Student Jessica paints her own Vermeer under the Rijksmuseum, with input from passers-by“, Het Parool
Available: here
Un/Cover Vermeer is a performance staged at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in which the artist creates a dialogue between past and present through painting. Previously, the artist had studied Vermeer by replicating two of his works, and during a notable Vermeer exhibition at the museum, she encountered the original “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window.” An X‐ray analysis of the painting had revealed a long‐concealed image—a hidden Cupid—that provided a compelling source of inspiration. Motivated by this discovery, the artist set out to explore what might lie beneath her own replication of the work. Each day, she painted a fresh rendition, only to cover it up once more and start anew. As the performance evolved, passing visitors engaged with her, their conversations helping to steer the direction of the artwork and making the audience an active participant in her creative process.