| Yellow-red was rare, | |
| until we came to know it -- | |
| as, yay, oranges. | |
| Geelrood was zeldzaam, | Gelbrot war selten, |
| tot we het leerden kennen -- | bis wir es kennenlernten -- |
| als sinaasappels. | als, hey, Orangen. |
Amsterdam, 2026-06-25
It was only with the introduction of the orange in the 15th century that yellow-red (geolu-read) became a known colour in Western Europe, and was subsequently called orange
Collection: The climbing house
| Everything is called | |
| 'beautiful', and beautiful -- | |
| things are just called 'nice'. | |
| Alles wordt maar 'mooi' | Alles heißt derzeit |
| genoemd, en wat mooi is heet -- | 'großartig', Großartiges -- |
| tegenwoordig 'leuk'. | heißt einfach nur 'schön'. |
Amsterdam, 2026-05-05
Late (Salman Rushdie) - 2025
Story, paragraph 6, collection "The Eleventh Hour" (page 139)
Collection: Wind
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman
| In words, the twringling | |
| rainbow rollwool is something -- | |
| quite mysterious. | |
| In woorden is de | In Worten ist die |
| wronkelende bollewol -- | Drehknäuelwolle etwas -- |
| iets mysterieus. | Geheimnisvolles. |
Amsterdam, 2026-03-28
O great mystery (Maud Vanhauwaert) - 2020
Poem "O magnum mysterium", published in the collection "het stad in mij", chapter 10, Colour knot
Collection: Whirligig Scribbler
Tribute to: Vanhauwaert, Maud
|
The words form a sound |
Amsterdam, 2026-01-13
A crown hugger is a head massage spider
Orinoco crocodile: crocodylus intermedius
The Memory Palace (of Simonides of Ceos) is remembering people (or objects, or a shopping list, etc.) by placing them in a house or palace, after which you encounter them when walking (in your mind) through that building
Barnacles (Sessilia) are crustaceans, a type of crab, which settle on ship hulls, so that the ship's skin appears to have pox
Chickenpox is a skin disease
Sleep paralysis prevents (during REM sleep) the movements you perform in a dream from being performed in reality
Handpan: a closed gong (the most famous brand is called: Hang)
Collection: The Yellow House Museum
Dedicated to: Lotte W
| When she is hungry | |
| she says: Kitchen! Candles are: | |
| Hip hip hooray! | |
| Als ze wil eten | Wenn sie hungrig ist, |
| zegt ze: Keuken! Kaarsen zijn: | sagt sie: Küche! Kerzen sind: |
| In de gloria! | Für hurra hurra! |
Amsterdam, 2026-01-06
My struggle 1. A Death in the Family (Karl Ove Knausgård) - 2009
Autobiographical novel "Min Kamp. Første bok", part 1, paragraph 2 - March 4th, 2008, Malmö (Heidi, two years old)
Collection: Leaving
Tribute to: Knausgård, Karl Ove
| I want to write to | |
| everyone: Be careful, words -- | |
| are rarely enough. | |
| Ik wil iedereen | An alle möchte |
| aanschrijven: Pas op, woorden -- | ich schreiben: Vorsicht, Worte -- |
| zijn vaak niet genoeg. | reichen oft nicht aus. |
Amsterdam, 2025-12-22
The secretary bird was thinking about the letter he wanted to write (Toon Tellegen) - 2018
Short story "De secretarisvogel dacht na over de brief die hij wilde schrijven", published in the collection "Het leed van de stoftor" #17
Collection: Perhaps / Some day / Occasionally / Almost
Tribute to: Tellegen, Toon
| Therefore, I owe me | |
| a warm welcome and bid you -- | |
| festively grateful! | |
| Daarom ben ik mij | Deshalb empfange |
| zeer welkom en heet ik u -- | ich mich festlich und heiße -- |
| feestelijk veel dank! | ich Sie vielen Dank! |
Amsterdam, 2025-11-27
The mouse came into the grasshopper's shop (Toon Tellegen) - 2011
Short story "De muis kwam in de winkel van de sprinkhaan", published in the collections "Het geluk van de sprinkhaan" (2011), and "Ze wisten er meer van" (2020)
Collection: Perhaps / Some day / Occasionally / Almost
Tribute to: Tellegen, Toon
| Isn't the North Pole just | |
| what its name suggests, I mean: | |
| a pole in the north? | |
| Is de Noordpool niet | Ist der Nordpohl nicht |
| wat de naam zegt: het noorden -- | wie sein Name schon sagt: ein -- |
| van het land Polen? | Pole im Norden? |
Amsterdam, 2025-09-02
Winnie-the-Pooh (Alan Milne) - 1926
Children's book, chapter "Expotition to the North Pole"
Collection: Glimpsed
Tribute to: Milne, Alan
| It is simple: right | |
| is the side of the hand with -- | |
| the thumb on the left. | |
| Het is eenvoudig: | Es ist einfach: rechts |
| rechts is de kant van de hand -- | ist die Seite der Hand mit -- |
| die de duim links heeft. | dem linken Daumen. |
Amsterdam, 2024-12-29
This is my Body (Renate Dorrestein) - 1997
Novella "Want dit is mijn lichaam", the translation of the Words of Institution: "Hoc est enim Corpus Meum", chapter December
Collection: Lack
Tribute to: Dorrestein, Renate
| Anyone who wants | |
| to think without words will have -- | |
| not a word to say. | |
| Wie zonder woorden | Jeder, der ohne |
| wil denken staat meteen met -- | Worte nachdenken möchte -- |
| zijn mond vol tanden. | weiß nichts zu sagen. |
Amsterdam, 2024-08-29
The Message to the Planet (Iris Murdoch) - 1989
Novel, parts One and Three
Collection: Longing and Loss
Tribute to: Murdoch, Iris
| I am exploring, | |
| with words as my set of tools -- | |
| and my set of maps. | |
| Ik doe onderzoek, | Ich exploriere, |
| met woorden als gereedschap -- | mit Worten als Werkzeuge -- |
| en als landkaarten. | und als Landkarten. |
Amsterdam, 2021-12-17
Diving into the wreck (1973, Adrienne Rich) - 1973
Poem (collection "Diving into the wreck")
Collection: A profession
Tribute to: Rich, Adrienne
|
Humans can be strong |
Amsterdam, 2020-04-26
Collection: Metamorphic body
Dedicated to: Lotte W
| In between the words | |
| about the boat and the boat -- | |
| I still have some space. | |
| Tussen mijn woorden | Zwischen den Worten |
| over de boot en de boot -- | über das Boot und das Boot -- |
| heb ik nog ruimte. | habe ich noch Raum. |
Amsterdam, 2018-11-23
Night ferry - 2 (Maria Barnas) - 2018
Poem "Nachtboot" - 2 (collection "Nachtboot")
Collection: Held True
Tribute to: Barnas, Maria
| To watch an ear and | |
| describe it precisely: that -- | |
| would be masterly! | |
| Een oor bekijken | Ein Ohr mustern und |
| en precies beschrijven: dat -- | es haarscharf beschreiben: das -- |
| zou meesterlijk zijn! | wäre meisterhaft! |
Amsterdam, 2017-11-20
Diary 1964-1965 (Frida Vogels) - 2008
"Dagboek 1964-1965" - October 31st, 1965, Bologna (Frida quotes Bert Weijde)
Collections: Self-portraits, Whirligig Scribbler
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida
| There aren't any words | |
| for it, it is so special: | |
| I still can't say what. | |
| Zo bijzonder is | So besonders ist |
| het, dat ik nog steeds niet kan -- | es, dass ich immer noch nicht -- |
| zeggen wat het is. | erklären kann, was. |
Amsterdam, 2013-10-08
Collection: Pending rain
|
It started with ox house donkey |
Train Amsterdam-Rotterdam, 2005-10-29
Maria (in Bethlehem, 5 BCE)
Letters of the Phoenician alphabet
Collection: The King
