Verloofde vrienden 1942 - 1949

This page from a photo album, Verloofde vrienden, is a collection of small black and white images amidst elegant white script. Imagine making this at home, in Berlin perhaps, in September '42. I feel for the hands making this object of love and celebration, trying to fix a moment against an uncertain future. You can almost feel the artist, maybe a family member or friend, carefully arranging these images like puzzle pieces, documenting an engagement during wartime. The texture of the album page, the deliberate placement of each photograph, it speaks of a personal archive, an attempt to preserve memories. The handwriting feels delicate but determined. It reminds me of other artists who work with found materials and personal narratives, like Christian Boltanski, transforming fragments of life into poignant reflections on time and memory. Ultimately, what stays with me is the spirit of human connection, the drive to document and share moments of joy, even when the world feels precarious. It’s a reminder that art, in all its forms, is a conversation across time.