Alles is voorbij Possibly 1945 - 1946

In the Rijksmuseum, you’ll find this curious collage of paper and monochrome photograph by an anonymous maker. Looking at it, I imagine the artist piecing it together, cutting and pasting to make something new; it’s almost playful, this combination of found imagery and text. The photograph shows a laughing man wielding a rifle, a scene laden with potential stories. What’s he laughing at? Is it maniacal? Or is it a sign of relief? Maybe he’s acting? The added text: 'IT IS ALL OVER!' feels ambiguous, like he is free from the world and has completed his purpose. I love this sense of playful ambiguity! It reminds me that as artists, we’re always in conversation with the world around us. I think that by embracing uncertainty, we are opening up infinite possibilities for meaning. It’s all over… or is it just beginning?