Groepsfoto's 1939 - 1943

Curator: This page, titled "Groepsfoto's," dates from 1939 to 1943. The Rijksmuseum holds this collection of black and white photomontage prints. Editor: There’s an inherent melancholy. Look at how the photos are presented like a collage, or fragments of a memory… I get this strange sense of camaraderie and displacement, almost simultaneously. Curator: The physical arrangement of the prints becomes interesting as it offers a layered insight. How these photographs function together in a sequence to influence meaning. There is no one credited for this group of photographs. This piece challenges our standard notion of the artistic genius and asks questions of labour, social realism and authorship. Editor: Absolutely, there is something intensely human in these candid moments, a yearning, perhaps even in the poses – a bit performative. I wonder who the people in these photos were? I get a strong impression they're trying to hold on to the familiar amidst... what I assume, some kind of adversity? Curator: Yes, it's like they're curating their own history through these snapshots, which are then displayed. We should also remember the scarcity of photographic material in that period which makes the decision to make photos of group pictures with companions even more significant. This selection and layout must hold significance to the photographer’s intent. The glue, paper quality – these materials speak too. Editor: It is an attempt to seize these ephemeral instants, wouldn't you agree? This almost childlike pasting together on this page to form a lasting memorial. Makes me want to dig out my own old albums when I get home. Curator: The very act of creating the montage is as important as what the photos themselves depict, reminding us of the social and economic conditions that dictated their creation and display. Editor: And yet it retains such intimacy! This seemingly casual compilation holds stories that linger long after we’ve walked away. The humanity of simply wanting to document and share moments in our lives, never ceases to amaze me.