Iratxe Jaio and Klaas van Gorkum: Las Lanzas

“Las Lanzas” is an audiovisual installation by Iratxe Jaio and Klaas van Gorkum that investigates the changing meaning of Velázquez’s “The Surrender of Breda” and its reproductions, exploring historical memory and the perception of art in different contexts.

In June 2025, Witte Rook will host a screening of the video Las Lanzas, an audiovisual installation created by artists Iratxe Jaio and Klaas van Gorkum. This project is part of their artist residency, during which they have explored the evolving significance of Velázquez’s The Surrender of Breda and its various reproductions in the city of Breda.

Through video documentation and staged interventions, Las Lanzas examines how each copy of the painting acquires new meanings based on its context. From its role in the Prado Museum as a symbol of Spanish supremacy to its representation in Breda as a reflection of local identity and its connection to the House of Orange-Nassau, the work serves as a starting point for exploring historical memory and contemporary perceptions of art.