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The installation by Jak Peters looks innocuous enough. A desk such as you can find anywhere, and on top of it a slide projector aimed slightly upward with the help of a book. Next to that is an ashtray with a cigarette, a can of beer and a cassette tape. It looks as if the slide show has just ended. But something strange is going on here: all of the objects consist of the same material. Everything has been made exactly life-size, sawn by hand out of fibreboard. What you are looking at is in fact an imitation of reality. On the wall you also see a projection – slightly larger than a square metre, also constructed from fibreboard, with little figures on it that suggest a picture. A very close approximation of a slide frame and projection indeed. The projected image has simply been turned into a tangible enlargement of its source. Every aspect of the slide presentation has been realised in concrete form. There’s even a wooden socket. All that is lacking is electricity and light. The set-up is reminiscent of the studio imitations by Fischli and Weiss, but then without the heavy philosophical, academic overtones. Jak Peters’ approach is light and radiates the pleasure and dedication with which it is made. Next to this untitled installation is a squat block hut that functions as a mini theatre. Twice a day the curtains open and Peters, sheathed in a droll wooden suit, sings a seafaring song. The suit is reminiscent of armour, but without being scary, like the cute little robots in Star Wars or the singing scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. The dedication with which he presents his work is remarkable. Jak Peters has a lot to show. Not only does he use a great variety of media – there are also sculptures and constructed objects and in the catalogue are photographs of drawings and little paintings – the extent to which he finishes his work can also vary greatly. Some objects appear to be sketches, starting points for a larger project, whereas others have been worked out to the tiniest detail. The naturalness of his approach and the great diversity of visual idioms and materials result in surprising works and make him an exceptional artist in comparison with many of his contemporaries. This certainly does not mean that everything is equally good, but it does reveal a great creative potential. Jak Peters graduates from the art academy in Den Bosch this year. His final presentation received the Lucas Award, a promotional award for best student given by the city of ‘s Hertogenbosch. At the award presentation his classmates reacted enthusiastically to his nomination; when he was pronounced the winner the cheering almost blew the roof off the packed auditorium – as if everyone had personally contributed to his success. This illustrates his personality, charm and disarming nature.And now the Rijksakademie? Jak Peters is not sure. “I have a studio in Tilburg and can think about whether I want to study further. In any case I want to put this period behind me first. Almost all of the graduate programmes are in the city, you know. I’m not such a city person. I’ve never lived in a city and feel perfectly at home in Boxtel. And I’m simply crazy about Brabant, it’s a splendid area.”