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During the corona pandemic, repeatedly washing our hands became irrevocably part of everyday reality. This personal effort embodied a shared collective effort of care. With the smell of soap lingering on our hands, we stayed within the confines of our comfortable homes. Not being allowed outside reinforced the desire for restful moments in the warm summer sun, far away from home.

Schoon Verlangen [Clean Desire] represents a journey of an intimate encounter with soap. 200 kilograms of todays’ well-known, widely accessible, and price-friendly Dove regular cream bar is hand-cut, liquified, hardened, and slowly hand carved. By working the material with water and my bare hands, the shape of a suitcase slowly emerged from the soap. Its surface is marked by millions of fingernail scratches and imprints of moving palms of hand. Meanwhile, my body bears the marks of repetitive labour. Schoon Verlangen, caught between stillness and movement, appears as solid as marble but is remarkably sensitive to the warmth of water. As time passes, its scent gradually escapes into space.