Boslandschap, mogelijk in Zuid-Afrika 1967 - 1971

Editor: This photograph, taken by Willem Jacob van den Berg between 1967 and 1971, is called "Boslandschap, mogelijk in Zuid-Afrika"—Woodland, Possibly in South Africa. There's a certain dreamlike quality to it, almost hazy. What symbols or meanings do you find particularly striking here? Curator: Well, immediately I’m drawn to the tension between the texture of the grass in the foreground, almost tactile, and the soft-focus foliage beyond. Consider the historical context - the 60s in South Africa was a period of intense social and political change, dominated by apartheid. Editor: So, could the landscape itself be symbolic of something larger? Curator: Precisely. Think about how wilderness, the 'boslandschap' in the title, has historically functioned as both refuge and a place of danger in the Afrikaner cultural memory. It is a contested space. Does the haziness suggest a forgetting, a romanticizing, or perhaps even a deliberate obfuscation of something darker within that cultural landscape? What emotional response does it trigger in you? Editor: That’s thought-provoking. It makes me consider how landscapes are never just passive backdrops, but can be active participants in shaping our understanding of history and identity. It’s almost a warning not to blindly accept pretty pictures... Curator: Yes, exactly. We're interpreting not just what’s there, but also what’s absent, and what that absence signifies. I am glad you are connecting your personal experience to larger historic and social issues. Editor: Thanks. I hadn’t considered the historical implications before, but now it adds another layer of complexity. Curator: Precisely, looking closely unearths layers.