TOO MUCH TO SWALLOW

Three-channel moving image, 4K laser projection, soundscape, architectural installation, 8 minutes loop, 2025

The act of chewing gum—initially valued for its freshness and social allure—becomes undesirable waste once its temporary pleasure is exhausted. Emphasized through rhythm and deliberate overstimulation of the senses, we witness a transformation in this three-channel film: from consuming a desirable object to becoming a desirable object— or perhaps to becoming unwanted debris. Like gum, which is first praised for its ability to refresh, entertain and enhance social presence, but is ultimately discarded once its function is fulfilled.

The architectural installation TOO MUCH TO SWALLOW reconstructs a store where a three-channel video displays illusory shop windows filmed from shopping streets in Amsterdam, Paris, London and The Hague. Where the gallery transforms into an uncanny retail space. Interwoven through these images is a single figure, compulsively chewing gum until she gradually transforms into the very product she consumes. Through the layering of image, sound and scent, the installation probes our collective obsession with crafting dreamlike appearances and how consumer culture generates temporary illusions in which we willingly take part. Exploring the connection between overconsumption and personal identity through the metaphor of chewing gum, challenging the audience to recognize their own role in the spectacle.