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For In Gratitude, I took the small staircase of Omstand in Arnhem as a starting point – three steps at the front and three steps at the back. Stairs remind me of my time moving between temporary accommodations in centres for asylum seekers, where three shaky stair steps to our door finally led us to our first permanent home in the Netherlands, with twelve real stair steps to the front door. Before that staircase, I had no idea what I was missing out on. How could I have known the joy of running up and down those steps? Soon, the stairs lost their magic and became invisible in everyday life.

The cube-shaped installation In Gratitude consists of a plaster cut-out of a door and a staircase with three steps in positive space unfolding into twelve steps in negative space. While applying the cream-coloured plaster, a sense of emotion overwhelmed me. This endearing moment made me realise that I wanted to immortalise these steps in order to allow the viewer to witness the magic that, for me, was inherent to a staircase. Staircases can’t be taken for granted by everyone, staircases are not everyday for everyone.