The process of coming of age within Western society is critically examined through a dreamlike and hallucinatory video in which a series of young girls repeatedly ask permission to cross to the other side. The work draws on a traditional Dutch children’s song and playground game, commonly played in schoolyards across the Netherlands.

The recurring male voice that grants or denies passage alternates between innocent, playful injunctions- such as “You must jump!”-and more insidious imperatives reflective of social conditioning: “You must work harder!”, “You must lose weight!” In doing so, the piece exposes the subtle transition from childhood play to the internalization of societal norms and expectations, revealing how innocence becomes entangled with discipline and control.