Simone Post Recreates Childhood Home in Candy at Voorlinden Museum

Dutch artist Simone Post (born 1990 in Utrecht) has created 'Sweet Memories', an immersive installation at the Voorlinden Museum in the Netherlands, open since April 5, 2025. The work reconstructs the home where she lived at age three using candies, marshmallows, lollipops, and other sweets. Post describes age three as 'the perfect age' when one feels free, safe, and unashamed. The installation faithfully reproduces details such as a bunk bed, stuffed animals, a living room chandelier, a bathtub, and a laundry room with a washing machine. The pastel colors and vanilla scent initially feel reassuring but eventually evoke a sense of suffocation. Curator Barbara Bos calls the show 'a playful and critical reflection on the desire to always have more in a world full of excess'. The work critiques overprotection and the tendency to satisfy every desire to alleviate guilt. Made with perishable materials, the museum limits visitor numbers and time inside to preserve the installation until its closing date of August 31, 2025. The environment, reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel's candy house, encourages photos and selfies.