Jonge leerlingen van Hermannsberg, een nevenvestiging van Schule Schloss Salem, tijdens een uitvoering in het bos c. 1929

This old photograph captures students of Hermannsberg school performing in the forest, and it’s been made using a photographic process with a limited tonal range, creating a mysterious visual experience. The way the light filters through the trees, casting shadows on the children dressed in costume, reminds me that art, even in its most representational form, is always an interpretation. The muted tones and the soft focus give the image an ethereal quality, like a scene from a dream. Look at the small figure on the right hand side, standing upright with a shield. The angle is slightly off, giving it a awkward, vulnerable appearance. This image, with its staging and its slightly awkward, theatrical mood, feels similar to some of the constructed realities we see in the work of Jeff Wall. Both artists, though working in vastly different times and media, explore the boundary between reality and artifice. Art isn’t about pinning things down but is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and interpretations.