Rijksmuseum acquires early works on paper by Marinus Boezem

We are pleased to announce that the Rijksmuseum has acquired several important early works on paper by Marinus Boezem. These pieces are a significant addition to the museum's existing collection of his work.

One of the acquired works is the collage If you'd like to see this photo in colors, burn it, Marinus Boezem (1967-69). This work is a black and white picture postcard bearing the instruction: 'If you'd like to see this photo in colors, burn it.' Boezem's thumb is pictured life-sized in the left corner, as if holding the card, while the right side depicts a curling sheet of paper going up in flames. In 1969 the card was sent by mail to 200 persons as an artwork. The recipient is involved as a co-actor in the creation of the intended artwork, by holding it in the spot where Boezem’s thumb is pictured and then lighting it on fire. By this intervention, the black and white photograph of the flames is temporarily transformed into the colour of real flames. At the same time, the realization of the artwork means its destruction.

Another version of this work is on view in the exhibition Mail art 1964 - 1996, from 20 March - 18 April 2026 at Upstream Gallery.

Publication date: 19 Mar '26