Ruïnes van het Grand Theatre te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

This small black and white photograph shows the Ruïnes van het Grand Theatre te Rotterdam, and was made by J. Nolte. The monochrome palette lends a graphic quality to the image, where the contrast between light and shadow sharpens the details of the ruined architecture, and emphasises a feeling of chaos. I'm drawn to the textures of the debris, that messy jumble of bricks and broken beams and charred detritus. The photograph has captured a moment of stillness within the aftermath, a kind of brutal poetry. Look closely at the ladder leaning against one of the walls; it's a small detail but speaks volumes about human resilience, the impulse to rebuild and perhaps suggests an act of restoration. This photograph reminds me a little of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who documented industrial structures with a similar sense of detachment, finding beauty in the ordinary. Ultimately, this image is a reminder of art’s power to find beauty in unexpected places, embracing imperfection and ambiguity over neat resolutions.