Bezoek aan een dorp 1927 - 1931

These black and white photographs, collectively titled 'Bezoek aan een dorp,' meaning ‘Visit to a village’ in Dutch, are mounted onto the dark page of an album. In their arrangement, I am reminded that art making is not just about the single image, but also about the relationships between images. Each photograph, a small window into a past encounter, appears as a carefully constructed moment frozen in time. The texture, inherent in the grainy black and white, lends a timeless quality, allowing us to reflect on the cultural exchange captured within. The focus feels directed, not just on the people, but on the act of documentation itself. Looking at the photograph with the figures kneeling in a circle, for me, the ambiguity is key: Who is the observer? What is the nature of this visit? This element of not-knowing is what makes it compelling. It reminds me a little of the work of Sophie Calle, who is good at opening up these types of interesting ambiguities around image making.