Le retour du chapeau (The return of the hat), 1998

35 mm film loop, colour, 1’31”
projector, loop system, straw hats
approx. 300 x 400 cm

Le retour du chapeau (The return of the hat), 1998

16 mm film loop, colour, 1’31”
projector, loop system, projection table
approx. 210 x 280 cm
edition 3 + 1 AP
added: ProRes 422 HQ, aspect ratio 4:3

Note / Le Creux du Van is in the Swiss Jura, where fickle whirlwinds blow. According to local legend, if you lose your hat on the edge of the ravine, the wind will ensure that it lands back on your head of its own accord. Van Warmerdam made a permanent installation in the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht, which she supplied with straw hats for the children receiving treatment there. MvW: ‘They watch the film of a hat that disappears and then returns after a while… just like the child who goes into hospital and hopefully comes out again.’