Simone Post – Sweet Memories

Simone Post grew up surrounded by sewing machines. At home, her mother gave sewing lessons and demonstrated that you can create anything with fabric. Now, as a visual artist, Post experiments with the malleability of various materials – including sweets. In a craft-based manner, she recreates her childhood home at Voorlinden; she interweaves metre-long cables of yellow and pink marshmallows into furniture, a kitchen and clattering sewing machines. The result is a colourful installation that you can walk through, one that will make your mouth water.

‘Using sweets, I recreated the house in which I lived as a three-year-old. To me, that is the perfect age; as a toddler, you feel free and safe, unashamed, and the world remains one great mystery to be discovered.’ – Simone Post

Installation Sweet Memories by Simone Post

Longing for Childhood
With Sweet Memories, Post invites you to return to a time when everything still seemed possible. She leads you into the charming, innocent world of a three-year-old. As a toddler, life is delightfully simple: everything is possible and malleable. It is a period of unreserved freedom and pure wonder. At Voorlinden, Post makes her own memories of that age tangible using sweets, meticulously recreating her bunk bed, plush toys, and even the chandelier in the living room. The sweet scents, soft colours, and captivating materials evoke a warm sense of security — a cosy atmosphere full of dreams and potential.

‘Simone Post lets you drift away into the sweet, seductively innocent world of a child, far away from the complex world in which you find yourself as an adult.’ – Suzanne Swarts, director Voorlinden

Simone Post in Sweet Memories – photo: Ruud Baan

Gluttonous Dreams
With an abundance of sweets, Post creates at Voorlinden a dream world that reflects both childlike desires and adult illusions. For what appears soft and enticing has its downside. The meringues, candied bacon strips, and candy chains evoke a sweet sense of nostalgia and make your mouth water, yet in excess, they can become overwhelming. Moreover, life in this perfect, sugary picture
is unfeasible. By contrasting the allure of abundance with the pitfalls of excess, Post offers a subtle nod to classic wisdom.

‘Simone Post’s installation is a playful and critical reflection on our desire for more in a world full of excess.’
– Barbara Bos, head of exhibitions

Remembering Sweet Memories

Would you like a lasting memory of Sweet Memories? Or learn more about Simone Post’s creation process, background and inspiration? Then buy the Artist Book created by the artist in collaboration with Voorlinden. The book includes photos of her studio, the individual objects and the installation in the museum, alongside a poem by Jesse Laport and essay by historian Lotte Houwink ten Cate.

Simone Post, Sweet Memories (detail), 2025 – photo: Titia Hahne

International Recognition
Simone Post (born 1990) was born in Utrecht and graduated cum laude from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2015. With her daring experiments with materials and patterns, she has won several international awards, including the Domotex Best Studio Artist Design, the Dutch Design Award for Best Product, and Best Young Designer. Her work is exhibited around the world and is included in various museum collections – among them the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, MAD in Paris, and the Cooper Hewitt in New York. She has also collaborated with brands such as Vlisco, Hèrmes, and Adidas. Simone lives and works in Schiedam, the Netherlands.

Time Slots for Sweet Memories – How It Works

1. Why do you use time slots?
Sweet Memories is an intimate, delicate installation housed in a small space. For this reason, we can only admit a limited number of visitors at any one time. The time slots (four minutes per person, split across two rooms) ensure that everyone can experience the work without it becoming overcrowded.

2. How and when can I collect my time slot?
Time slots are available only at the museum, by the entrance to the exhibition. They are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis; if possible, you may choose a later start time. Advance reservations are not possible.
In the meantime, you’re welcome to explore the other exhibitions, but please make sure to arrive a few minutes before your designated start time.

3. What time should I arrive, and what happens if I’m late?
Be sure to be at Sweet Memories before your allocated time slot begins. Regrettably, if you arrive late, you will not be admitted, as any remaining time is immediately offered to the next visitor.

4. How much time do I get, and may I take photographs?
The experience lasts a total of 4 minutes; afterwards, we kindly ask you to make way for the next visitor. You are welcome to take photos and videos, but please bear in mind that time passes quickly. We recommend experiencing the work with your own eyes first and foremost.

5. How many times and with how many people may I enter?
Each admission ticket (adult or child) entitles you to collect one time slot. Everyone, including children, must have their own individual time slot. You may not collect multiple slots for yourself.

6. May I bring children?
Absolutely! Children up to 12 years old must also have their own time slot and may only enter the installation when accompanied by an adult, preferably holding hands.

7. Are there any extra costs for Sweet Memories?
No. Your standard museum ticket allows you to collect a time slot and visit the installation free of charge.

8. Is the installation accessible to wheelchairs, walkers and buggies?
Yes, it is. Due to the limited space, if possible, please leave these mobility aids outside the installation. If this is not feasible, that is absolutely fine.

Enjoy your visit and the artwork!