I know this much is true

Friday 20 March 2026 19:30
Saturday 9 May 2026 17:00

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I know this much is true

Jet Siemons

20.03 - 09.05.2026

From 20 March to 9 May 2026, Ballon Rouge presents I Know This Much Is True, a solo exhibition by photographer and storyteller Jet Siemons. The exhibition brings together work from her ongoing search for De Witte Wieven (The Wise Women), approached from a more personal perspective in which landscape, folklore, and memory intertwine.

Jaiu en Jaia, archiefbeeld, 2025
© Jet Siemons

As a child, Jet Siemons grew up with stories told by her grandparents: stories about spirits, invisible figures, and worlds that exist beyond what can be seen. These narratives shaped an early belief in the unseen and a lasting connection to imagination and storytelling. When her grandfather passed away and her grandmother grew quieter, this magical world slowly receded. The longing for wonder, however, remained.

Four years ago, she began researching Dutch myths, legends, and folk tales. During this process, she came across the legend of the Witte Wieven: ghostly female figures said to inhabit the forests and marshlands of the eastern Netherlands. She visited the places tied to these stories, collected traces, and photographed them with the same attentive curiosity her grandfather once encouraged. Through this ongoing search, Jet Siemons looks for magic, solace, and what is almost invisible.

The project developed into a deeply personal journey. It is not only about revisiting Dutch folklore, but about reclaiming an intuitive way of seeing within a world largely shaped by logic and reason. The work holds space for wonder and uncertainty, allowing questions to remain unanswered and meaning to emerge over time.Conceived as a journey of discovery, the exhibition unfolds through black-and-white photographs of landscapes and objects, alongside collections of found materials. These elements are presented in an almost archival manner, functioning as quiet evidence rather than illustration. The work moves between documentation and imagination, leaving space for interpretation and personal association.

I Know This Much Is True reflects Jet Siemons’ ongoing search for belief, connection, and a more intuitive relationship to the world. The exhibition invites visitors to consider whether these spirits truly exist, why we feel the need to seek proof, and whether certainty is necessary at all.