People Watching (II) by Kamau Ng’ang’a is a theatrical living room constructed from scrap wood, in which two large fabric puppets are carried around and repeatedly positioned in relation to one another. Through their posture, distance, and placement, the lifeless figures seem to acquire human relationships, emotions, and personalities.

The room contains a television broadcasting archival footage from the United States National Archives. The compilation shows people suddenly becoming aware of the camera and adjusting their behaviour once they realise they are being watched. On the mantelpiece, paintings by Annabel Quick form an everyday altar to a family unit. The distorted paintings become visible by moving away from the installation itself. Kamau Ng’ang’a (Johannesburg 2001) explores how identity and human behaviour emerge through observation and performance. He graduated in 2024 from the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague. People Watching (I) was his graduation project. People Watching (II) was made on invitation by De Spelonk, the street gallery in the home of Bart Dirks and Roeland Merks in The Hague (the Netherlands). We share our love for contemporary art with anyone who happens to pass by or makes a special detour to see it. Visible seven days a week through the windows. Visits inside by appointment.