Theefabriek Kertamanah gebouwd door Machinefabriek Braat Soerabaia 1934 1934

This black and white photograph of Theefabriek Kertamanah was taken in 1934 by an anonymous photographer. There’s something about old photographs that I find compelling. It's the way light and shadow play, and the sense of time suspended. The glossy sheen of the photograph almost makes it feel like a mirror. Look at the floor; you can almost feel the cool, hard surface. The reflection of the light bouncing off this floor, creating a dance of dark and light tones. The artist has captured the scene with such clarity, yet there's a softness too. It reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who documented industrial structures with such loving detail. Art, after all, is just a conversation. It’s about seeing what others have seen, and then seeing it in a new way. It’s about finding beauty in unexpected places and embracing the mystery of not knowing.