Vier foto's van landschappen en de kerk van Asselt c. 1942

Curator: So, here we have a page from a photo album, "Vier foto's van landschappen en de kerk van Asselt," roughly from 1942, by Norbert van den Berg. Editor: Immediately, I get this really wistful vibe, you know? The desaturated, almost ghostly blacks and whites, combined with how these landscapes are arranged on the page. There is something tender, yet fragile, about these collected memories. Curator: Fragile, that's a great way to put it. Looking closer, you can almost smell the aged paper, feel the delicate print of these photographic landscapes. I find myself drawn to the stark church standing in pastoral greenery: resilience or something else? Editor: Interesting! It makes me think about how architecture is photographed—a visual form that reinforces notions of permanence and power, especially in relation to a small village. And yet, this power exists, surrounded by a landscape in decay: it brings in complicated themes around memory, time, loss. Curator: Yes! It's not just about what's there, but also what's been lost. Landscape photography like this reminds us that the physical landscape also documents human presence—migration, conflict, industry, the building up and tearing down of structures. So it seems van den Berg asks, What do we make of history, nature, our faith, or perhaps of our lack thereof? Editor: And considering this work was made during World War II, that undercurrent of questioning, even doubt, resonates loudly. This series of photographs become like evidence. What parts of Asselt remain, even exist? In other words, photography here serves as more than just aesthetic value. Curator: Absolutely! And each photo a piece of evidence in Van den Berg’s intimate scrapbook. It is more like poetry if you ask me... A visual meditation with aging photographs and the ghosts of Asselt whispering on the page. Editor: Yes! This small page—a document, an artwork, an act of bearing witness—encapsulates so much. I’m walking away pondering about what’s truly important to keep with me as I walk through a space.