Bureau van den directeur c. 1902

This is a black and white photograph by Tan Tjie Lan, entitled 'Bureau van den directeur'. It looks like an office space, maybe from the early 20th century, and what strikes me is how this image captures a moment in time, but also seems timeless. There’s something about the stark contrast of light and shadow, the way it falls across the hexagonal tiles, that makes the whole room feel both solid and ephemeral. It’s easy to think of photography as a perfect record, but actually the photographer is constantly making choices. The focus on the composition, the angles chosen, these choices change what a space means. I keep coming back to those tiles, they are bold and create an intense play of light. This reminds me a little of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher. They photographed industrial structures, and in a similar way, Lan shows us the beauty in this mundane office space. It's a reminder that art is always in conversation with what has come before.