Algemeen Handelsblad Possibly 1945

This is a page from Algemeen Handelsblad, a Dutch newspaper from April 16, 1945, printed during World War II. The ink is dense. Like a field of tiny marks, tight and controlled, except for the occasional smudge. It’s all very serious and official. There is none of the expansive gesture we expect from art. But the whole thing is one big gesture, isn’t it? A statement. The information had to be set, printed, and delivered; the materiality of it is the message. Look at how the columns of text are arranged, like solid blocks. The paper itself is aged, with a yellowed tone and soft texture that hints at its history. The density and arrangement of the text create a visual rhythm, a cadence of order and information amidst chaos. This reminds me of the concrete poetry of Ian Hamilton Finlay, using language to build a world. It’s not just a newspaper; it's a relic, a document, a piece of history insisting on being seen.