Berti Hoppe met Bessie en een bezoek aan Wenen Possibly 1938 - 1939

Curator: This gelatin-silver print, possibly created between 1938 and 1939, is titled "Berti Hoppe met Bessie en een bezoek aan Wenen." It is an artwork by Herman Besselaar. What stands out to you about it? Editor: It’s a photographic contact sheet, right? A series of images presented together like a set of evidence, and its grainy texture feels immediate. Is that an actual album page? It feels incredibly intimate, as if stumbled upon. Curator: Precisely. Besselaar has presented these photographs within what seems to be an album. Consider the placement of the individual shots. Each picture could act as a symbol representing a facet of their journey. The lady with her dog, and city scenes, for instance, contrast against those depicting an indoor scene of reading... Do you see a deeper story at play? Editor: Yes, there is a sense of visual diary. A material record of place and experience. But consider the labor. It feels casual, but producing photographs—from taking them to developing, printing, and then arranging them—would have involved resources. It's both personal and tied to larger socio-economic contexts. Curator: A photograph's capacity to capture truth and imbue it with symbolic weight are quite central. Those specific scenes that were chosen to immortalize hint at meaningful experiences shared and deeply treasured. Take a moment and notice the interplay of shadows across this work... what feeling does it conjure for you? Editor: Those heavy blacks definitely speak to the serious subject matter. Silver gelatin, the chemistry involved in fixing the images, makes this piece incredibly process-oriented. These prints don’t just exist; they are made, developed, crafted. We see the remnants of material transformation in the stark final outcome. Curator: Absolutely. And on the subject of creation and development... don't forget its power to freeze particular moments. Look how Besselaar's artistic choices grant permanence and invites reflection over these specific lived moments. The artist provides a sense of lingering humanism and care throughout. Editor: This album hints to a story about leisure and connection with location through crafted photographs. These kinds of connections were formed due to a commitment to particular chemical materials, dark room labor, and the simple assembly in this very album. Curator: A beautiful closing remark. I will keep in mind that balance between the materials, places, moments and the emotional significance to viewers.