Birdspotting hut for lovers and drug addicts

In Birdspotting Hut for Lovers and Drug Addicts, different layers of meaning come together.

The work is set in one of the two old dunes behind my home in Heusden — a place rooted in childhood memories, where my father taught me to recognise birds and their songs. A time marked by quiet attention and a deep sense of connection.

At the same time, the hut belongs to another reality. It is a place where young people gather — to smoke a joint, to be together, to withdraw for a moment from everything else.

A final layer emerges from real events. Within the board of the nature park De Kollebloem, discussions arose about whether the hut should be preserved, in response to vandalism in the park attributed to local youth, and the idea of creating an alternative youth space in a nearby municipality. About two weeks later, the hut burned down during the night.