florentijn hofman unveils 'city cocoon,' his first occupiable inflatable work

artist florentijn hofman installs a colossal, vibrant, and inflatable ‘city cocoon’ among the gothic architecture of schiedam, the netherlands. officially dubbed by its translation ‘stadscocon,’ the occupiable form completely transforms the lofty space with its skeletal, stone columns — the strange and striking green form fits snugly into the nave of the huge church. expressive of the artist’s signature sense of scale, the cocoon introduces to the viewer a new perspective of the familiar space, where the interior is perceived with fresh eyes — all while maintaining a playful and engaging sense of fun.

with completion of his ‘city cocoon,’ or stadscocon, florentijn hofman presents both his first large-scale indoor installation and his first occupiable inflatable work. the massive cocoon seeks to introduce to its visitors a spiritual experience. while the immersive green space can be entered without first passing into the church, the visitor still has feeling of being inside one. hofman does not focus on religion, but rather challenges the visitor to find strength in their own existence and to follow their own path. enhancing the experience is a composed soundscape played on the church organ by local organist arjen leistra, created by the artist together with composer jasper le clercq. the music continues through the day — sometimes barely audible, sometimes completely silent, and occasionally growing to an overwhelming volume.

city cocoon (stadcocon) will show with free admission through the stedelijk museum through september 12th, 2021: reserve a timeslot here.

with the city cocoon / stadscocon, florentijn hofman references a metamorphosis like that of a caterpillar which, inside a cocoon, becomes a butterfly. to the interior, at a local scale, visitors will perceive the world through a green haze. at a larger scale, the work seeks to symbolize society as it carefully steps out from the coronavirus pandemic. curator charlotte martens elaborates: ‘who knows, maybe it’s even bigger that — we’re ready for a change and a new way of dealing with the world. we don’t have to do anything for that change — we don’t have to have a special idea, and we don’t need to have a goal. all that’s needed is to give free rein to our senses to observe and feel. experience the church differently and be surprised by the natural light inside the cocoon. eventually, you’ll walk outside with a fresh perspective and a different view of your surroundings.’