For street gallery De Spelonk, Marleen Sleeuwits (1980) has created the new, site-specific installation Sidewalk Shuffle in which the sidewalk outside the window extends into the interior. Paving stones from the pavement outside, photographs of the surface, plaster casts, and mirrors are displayed on blocks measuring 31 by 31 by 31 centimeters—exactly the dimensions of a paving stone. Together, they form an arrangement in which the sidewalk undergoes a progressive transformation: shifting from the familiar to the uncertain. The sidewalk itself is also part of the work; the outdoor pattern has been modified using paint and lines to align with what is visible inside.

In her work, Marleen Sleeuwits explores the relationship between photography, space, and material, as well as the distinction between reality and representation. The casts create exact copies of surfaces, simultaneously affirming and negating reality. De Spelonk—a room viewed exclusively from the outside—is the perfect setting for this inquiry. The installation can only be viewed through the two windows, much like looking at a photograph: you see something, yet you cannot enter it.

Street gallery De Spelonk, November 1 2026 – February 1, 2027. Opening Saturday November 14 from 4 PM until late. Valkenboslaan 74, The Hague (NL).