Studio Job

Huis van Delft

The project ‘Huis van Delft’ by Studio Job interweaves the history of Delft into a dynamic and immersive experience. The work extends across three galleries, two of which feature works developed in collaboration with the TextielLab, and encompasses approximately 240 linear metres of woven textile in total. 

The project comprises several impressive spaces and was realised in collaboration with a range of partners, including the ceramics producer Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum and the TextielLab. At its core lies a dialogue between history, art, and contemporary interpretation. The works reference the Dutch Golden Age and Delft’s rich cultural and scientific heritage, as well as figures such as Constantijn Huygens and Johannes Vermeer, who placed the city on the international stage. 

The spatial development of this concept unfolds across multiple rooms. In the Johannes Vermeer Gallery, a Jacquard-woven drapery is presented, inspired by Vermeer’s paintings, enlarged and transformed into a three-dimensional, padded textile. In the same space, a bridge spans the room, beneath which a woven ‘motorway’ appears partially crumpled by a bulldozer. 

The Jan Schoonhoven Gallery takes the form of a theatrical, tent-like installation of impressive scale, with textiles suspended in arches from the ceiling. The overall atmosphere has a surreal quality. Studio Job estranges historical narratives and presents them as a kind of enigma in which symbolism plays a central role. A VOC ship engulfed in flames, elements of diabolical energy, modern influences, aggression, vitality, joy, and absurdity merge into an image that layers past and present. 

‘Huis van Delft’ is currently still in development. The official opening is scheduled for summer 2027. 

Photography by Willeke Machiels, commissioned by the TextielMuseum