Picasso & Forever Gift

In Picasso (2019) a Citroën Xsara Picasso balances on a millions-of-years-old boulder by the water's edge. The result is a surreal image that plays with weight, time, and context.

Forever Gift (2025) is a gift that can never be opened. This way, the promise of a present never turns into disappointment; the gift can be nothing and everything at the same time, as long as it remains closed—a nod to Schrödinger’s cat, according to Eysink Smeets.

“The car takes up so much of our living space that we don’t even notice it anymore,” says Eysink Smeets. “Even though there’s often only one person inside, while it can seat five.”

The car installations invite us to rethink mobility, play, the use of space, and who is allowed to occupy that space, and by extension, the future of the city. The NDSM wharf is part of a rapidly developing urban area. Our vast open terrain, which is frequently used as a parking lot, makes these themes resonate even more strongly here.

Curious to learn more about Bart and his work? Read all about it in his interview with Het Parool.

About Bart Eysink Smeets
‍Through his work, Bart Eysink Smeets highlights what is already there in a sharp, humorous way. The artist magnifies, observes, questions, and reflects. He views the world with a sense of wonder and childlike curiosity to arrive at new insights.

About Stichting NDSM-werf
The NDSM Wharf Foundation programs and manages the monumental outdoor space of the NDSM as a cultural shipyard, with a focus on its public character, creative experimentation, and diversity of voices. The foundation develops and presents site-specific installations and artworks by and with artists, designers, and architects.

Picasso & Forever Gift are made possible in part by the Amsterdam Fonds voor de kunst and the Mondriaan Fonds.